The Accident
by LunarEclipse31
Summary: A horrible accident changes the lives of two people forever. How will they cope?
1. Hell Kaiser

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX, but that's because the papers haven't gone through yet. Heh heh heh. I don't own Chevrolet Equinox either.

Warning: Contains death. And maybe some OOCness

--

The infamous Hell Kaiser had just arrived back at his home, which was located in the outskirts of Domino. He liked his privacy, and the high hedges and fences gave him just that. Not that anyone would dare trespass, of course.

He removed his coat and tossed it on the couch as he walked past the living room. _Another day, another loser crushed. _He smirked. This particular victim had claimed that he could use psychic powers to block out the pain of the shock collars. Hell Kaiser had proved him wrong, attacking him with such force that the man left in an ambulance. But whatever. He made the choice to go up against the champion of the Underground.

He sat down on a comfy chair, and proceeded to examine the newspaper that had been delivered earlier that day. _The same old doom and gloom stories. Why do I even bother getting this thing?_ A knock at the door interrupted his reverie. Annoyed that someone would even think to bother him this late at night, he rose and moved swiftly to the front door.

Hell Kaiser yanked the door open. "May I help you?" He asked icily, and somewhat sarcastically. He looked at who it was and felt a little taken aback. It was a police officer.

"Zane Truesdale?" The man asked, looking grave.

"Yes. What brings you here so late, Officer?" Hell Kaiser looked down on the man from his superior height. _Probably one of my opponents crying assault again…_

"Bad news, I'm afraid. Would it be too much trouble if I could come in and speak to you?" Hell Kaiser narrowed his eyes. This was definitely odd…

"Very well." He turned on his heel and led the way to the living room, where he took a seat on the chair he had just vacated. "Sit down." He said indifferently, gesturing to the couch. The cop sat.

"Now, Mr. Truesdale. What I have to tell you is going to shock you, I imagine, but I am going to ask you to stay calm until I finish." Hell Kaiser nodded. The cop took a deep breath. "Approximately three hours ago I was called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident with four people involved. The driver of a pickup fell asleep at the wheel, and smashed into an Equinox coming from the opposite direction. Both drivers, as well as the front seat passenger in the Equinox were killed." He paused, gauging Hell Kaiser's reaction.

Hell Kaiser sat as still as a stone. His face had gone pale, and his heart rate was speeding up. His parents owned an Equinox…

"I'm very sorry to have to tell you this. Your parents died on impact when the pickup hit their car. I'm so very sorry." He repeated.

Hell Kaiser leaned forwards, feeling a little sick. He and his parents hadn't been on the best terms after he became Hell Kaiser, but they still talked every now and again. _Mom and Dad, dead? How? Parents just don't die…wait a minute; did he say __four__ people were in the crash? _"Who was the other person in the crash?"

The officer hesitated. "Well, when I got there, he had been taken to hospital by ambulance, but the witnesses all said that he had been in the backseat of the Equinox."

Hell Kaiser's heart gave a nasty thump. Syrus.

--

This was shorter than I expected. Other chapters will probably be longer. I love cliff-hangers. Don't you? *evil laugh*

This came to me as I was sleeping last night. Should I continue? R&R, no flames.


	2. Complications

Here goes the second chapter. Hope it pleases you. Oh, I forgot to mention; this story takes place after episode 95. From here on out, I'm going to call Zane, Zane, because it's easier to type. I'm lazy at this time of year.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Warning: Mild swearing. Zane might be a bit OOC in this story.

--

The first thing he became aware of was the nagging pain all over his body. Syrus tried to move his limbs, but they all felt heavy as lead, and he was so, so tired…not even his eyelids would open.

_Syrus…wakeup…Syrus……willhelive? Yesbuthe'llbeinjured… Syrus…Syrus…Syrus _

Syrus could hear voices around him, one that seemed very familiar, but he couldn't place it. Everything he heard didn't compute in his head. The words were little more than just sounds.

He tried to open his mouth and speak, but there was something in his mouth stopping him. _What's going on? _He wondered, just before he drifted off to a deep sleep.

--

Zane sat at the side of his brother's bed, watching him sleep. A little while ago, Syrus had seemed like he might wake up, but he hadn't. Although he hated to have the wimps around, he had phoned the Rhodes and Jaden to tell them what happened; they were coming over shortly. Everyone else was on vacation, as it was Spring Break.

If Syrus recovered, which the doctor said he would, Zane would become his legal guardian. _I cannot believe this is happening…we don't get along, how the hell are we supposed to live together? But that's the least of my concerns right now. _Zane had had to identify his parents' bodies, and he was still feeling slightly ill and wanting to sob, but he dared not. If he started crying, he wouldn't be able to stop. And he was going to have to arrange his parents' funeral, but the lawyer would probably handle that, and their will.

Syrus shifted a little in the bed, and Zane looked down at him. He turned his head to the left and let out a small moan. In an uncharacteristically kind gesture, Zane stroked his brother's hair. _Wake up, Syrus. No matter how weak you are, I don't want you dead._

--

_Syrus was having a horrible dream. He was slumped against the seat of his parents' car, with lights and sirens going off all around them. His parents weren't even in the car, which was sitting on the side of the road. "Mom, Dad?" he called. "Where are you?"_

_No one answered. He tried to get out of his seatbelt, but it had no buckle. Everything began getting darker and darker until he could no longer see an inch in front of his face. The last thing he saw was an image of Zane's face, looking at him coldly, just as he had during their duel on the island. "Help me! Please, Zane!" As before, there was no response._

--

Jaden, Alexis, and Atticus burst into the room. "Is he okay?!" Jaden practically yelled in Zane's face.

Zane stood up, in all his black leather glory. "Will you shut up?" he hissed. "The doctor said Syrus is in a delicate condition, and he needs rest." He shot a cold look at his three former friends.

"Oh, so now you care about him?! You didn't seem that concerned when you were electrocuting him with the shock collars during your duel." Zane looked murderous.

"I warned him. He chose to use the collars; I never forced him to do anything." This earned a snort from Jaden.

"You could have never proposed to use them. You knew Syrus was determined to duel you, and you took advantage of that!" Jaden was practically red in the face from his rant.

"One more word, Jaden, and I will have security remove you."

"You wouldn't."

"This is ICU. Visitors need a relative's permission to see patients. I can withdraw that permission at any time, and you won't see Syrus for weeks." Zane smirked at the fact that he now had the upper hand.

"You son of a --" Alexis and Atticus exchanged looks. This could be bad.

"Jaden, now isn't the best time to be yelling." Atticus spoke in a serious tone that he rarely ever used. "Zane, chill. He's just worried; we all are, and it's not the time to be dragging up the past."

Zane humphed and sat back down in his chair. "Sit down, I suppose." The four of them watched Syrus as if he might sit up and talk to them at any moment.

"Zane?" Alexis said hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry about your parents. They were like a second set of parents to Atty and I, and we're really going to miss them." Tears welled up in her eyes and Atticus touched her hand comfortingly. Zane looked a little softer.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

Jaden looked at his best friend lying in the bed with an oxygen tube down his throat, bandages and monitors everywhere. "I…I hope he gets better soon."

"He has a broken arm, three broken ribs, and a Grade III concussion. Those are the most serious problems, besides the cuts and bruises. Syrus was lucky." The doctor had arrived. "You must be his friends." Dr. Deir pulled out a clipboard. "He's stable, but I think we'll keep him in the ICU for observation. There could be complications stemming from his concussion."

Zane nodded, his face emotionless, but the others looked horrified. "What kind of complications?" Asked Alexis timidly.

"Memory problems, sleeping problems, mood changes. There's a small possibility of seizures, but I don't think that will be the case. The one thing I am worried about is the fact that he hit the area of his head where the optical nerve is located. That could result in some vision problems."

"Vision problems." Zane repeated softly. "I see. Thank you for your honesty."

Dr. Deir watched Zane sympathetically. "I'm willing to bet he'll make a full physical recovery, although he _is _going to need counselling because of the psychological effects of the accident and your parents' death. I can refer someone, if you want."

Zane nodded. "Fine." Dr. Deir stood up and exited the room, sighing. _Poor kid, all those injuries, dead parents, and his brother doesn't seem all that friendly either…_

"Well," said Atticus sarcastically "that was reassuring." Jaden was holding Syrus's hand, looking hard into his face as though his thoughts could awake his friend. Alexis was doing the same thing. Out of the blue, Zane stood up and pointed towards the door.

"Leave." Zane couldn't handle being in the same room with anyone right now. He needed space.

"What?!" They all yelled.

"You're crazy! We're not leaving!" Yelled Jaden. Atticus nodded fiercely.

"Go. NOW." Zane wasn't even looking at them; he was staring out of the window at the dark sky. "Before I call security."

"Fine." Alexis fairly snarled. "But we'll be back."

"I'm soooo scared. Leave." Hell Kaiser's laser-like stare followed them out of the door. He turned back to Syrus. The teenager began twitching and breathing rapidly. Zane pressed the call button to get the nurse. _Did you hear that, little brother? Is that why you're so upset all of a sudden? _He felt a twinge of regret, but squashed it down.

--

Hopefully Hell Kaiser wasn't too OOC for your taste. I tried my hardest. Will Syrus wake up next chapter? Stay tuned, and don't forget to review!


	3. Anger

A round of applause to all of you who reviewed *clap clap clap*

Just to recap: Syrus has multiple injuries; Hell Kaiser kicked Alexis, Jaden, and Atticus out of the hospital room. The Truesdale parents are dead, having been in a car accident along with Syrus. Is there no end to the misery?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX in this universe.

Warning: Mild swearing

--

Syrus stayed asleep for the next two days. Zane stayed in the room, leaving only briefly to take calls from his lawyer, and unfortunately, his agent, who was insistent on turning this tragic turn of events into one huge PR episode. Starting with an interview in which he should shed a few tears.

The whole idea of turning the accident into a way to increase his fan base disgusted him. So, of course, he refused to let that happen. Zane had sworn at her when she suggested it, and violently hung up. He knew she wouldn't quit, Hell Kaiser was way too good of a catch for any agent to turn down, whatever the cost.

_Damn agents, _he thought, _why do I need one anyway?_

--Later that day--

The first thing Syrus noticed when he woke up was not the pain (although it was quite annoying), but the quality of his vision. Everything was blurry, that was normal when he wasn't wearing glasses. It wasn't just the blurriness; the room and everything in it was…_dim_… like someone had turned the lights down.

He turned his head to the right and saw none other than Hell Kaiser sitting there, looking out the window. _He looks…tired. I've never seen him look like that before. _It was true. The former DA student was pale, with deep shadows around his eyes. _Where am I, and why is Zane here? Shouldn't he be killing some poor duelist in an arena somewhere? Unlesss… _his thoughts pointed to one terrifying conclusion.

"Oh my God," he said weakly. "I wound up in hell after all." Syrus didn't think his brother heard him, but Zane's head snapped towards the source of the noise. _Eep, he heard me..._

Zane's face showed pure relief for a second, and then flitted back to an expression of someone who was trying not to smile, but failing. "Syrus, you're awake."

"I guess I am." Syrus tried to sit up, but fell back down, out of energy. "What's going on? What are you doing here? What am _I _doing here?"

"Take it easy; you're in the hospital." Hell Kaiser said. "You and our parents were in a car accident. The police contacted me, and I came right away."

Syrus took a second to digest these facts. "That explains why my arm is broken and my chest hurts." He took a slow, pained breath. "Have I been asleep for long?"

"A few days. Your friends came to see you, but they had to…leave." The look on Zane's face made Syrus think that there was more to the story. "Something wrong?" He queried when he saw Syrus rubbing his eyes.

"Nothing really, but…do the lights seem a little dimmer to you?"

Zane raised an eyebrow. "No. Why?" He was starting to sound like his old arrogant self. Syrus looked away, not responding. "Syrus, there's something else I have to tell you." His tone was so serious that Syrus felt scared.

_Now what? I'm in the hospital, what else could go wrong? But when it rains, it pours, as Mom says. Hang on... _"Where are Mom and Dad? Are they okay?"

Zane's face told him all he needed to know. "No." He whispered in horror. "That's not possible. They can't be…" Syrus couldn't bring himself to say it. Saying it would make the nightmare come true. "No…" Tears were pooling in his eyes, but he made no move to wipe them away.

"Yes. They're dead. I'm sorry." Hell Kaiser's face was stony. _Does he have no feelings? _Syrus thought. _Our parents are dead and all he can say is "I'm sorry."?! _Anger bubbled in his stomach.

"You're lying!" The words burst out of Syrus's mouth before he could stop them. "Mom and Dad can't be dead! You hate me, and what better way to make me miserable than lying like that?! Get out of my room!" He stopped and gasped for breath.

Hell Kaiser closed his eyes. "Believe me, Syrus, they're dead. I saw the bodies in the morgue." He knew it was callous to say that, but he was mad that Syrus would try and make him out to be the bad guy.

"I said get the hell out of my room!" Syrus was screaming through his tears.

Hell Kaiser stood slowly and glared down at his little brother. "Well, I guess you got what you've wanted for years." He went to the door and jerked it open.

"What?" Syrus was momentarily dumbfounded. _What's he talking about? _His eyes were starting to sting badly, and he rubbed fiercely at his throbbing eyes. "What did I want?"

"To be like me." He smirked. "You let your anger get the best of you. I'll be back later to see how you are." He left the room.

Syrus sank back into his bed and began sobbing. He pulled the blankets over his head and pushed his face into his pillow. A nurse, no doubt sent by his brother, came in to give him a sedative.

--

Hooray! Third chapter is done. The characters are in for a nasty surprise in the next few chapters, so stay tuned! As always, R&R.


	4. Eyes

To recap: Zane and Syrus got in a fight after Zane told him that their parents were dead and Syrus's eyes are acting funny.

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO GX. Not now, not ever.

Warning: Swearing, possible OOCness. Nothing out of the ordinary for me.

--

"That little --" Hell Kaiser glared at the wall opposite to where he was sitting in the cafeteria. _He just got told that his parents are dead. How did you expect him to react? You didn't help matters either. _"Shut up." he told the little voice that was nagging at him. Why did his conscience have to sound so much like Atticus?

"Mom, look! It's Zane Truesdale!" A preteen girl at another table was pulling at her mother's sleeve. "Do you think he'll sign an autograph for me?"

"Honey, leave him alone. People deserve their privacy, no matter how famous. Let's go get lunch." She firmly pulled her daughter over to the lunch line.

This unexpected piece of courtesy from a fan's parent surprised him, and served to lighten his mood a little. He had often found fan parents to be more annoying than their children. _Brring! _His cell phone went off in his pocket. Groaning, he withdrew it and flipped it open.

"What?" It was his agent, calling to inform him that she had set up a photo shoot for the cover of Dueling Today. If there was one thing Hell Kaiser hated more than interviews and rabid fans, it was photo shoots. If the assistants weren't trying to put makeup on him, they were trying to persuade him to take his shirt off. "Look, my brother just woke up and was told our parents are dead. He does not need to be left alone right now." He hung up the phone without waiting for a reaction.

_Hypocrite. Why don't you take your own advice and go see him? Syrus needs someone to help him through this. _Zane growled inwardly and stood up, resolving to go and talk to his brother without getting in a fight with him.

--

Back in his hospital room, Syrus had woken up, grumpy, tearstained, and with a headache. _My parents are dead, my brother's an ass, and I'm in the hospital. And my eyesight… _Syrus's eyes seemed to be even worse after his rest. The doctor had come in and seen him before he went to sleep, and told him the story of the accident, and the extent of his injuries. _What if my eyes never go back to normal? What will I do then? _Syrus's' fear was almost as great as his shame of yelling at Zane and calling him a liar.

The door creaked slightly as Hell Kaiser entered the room. _Speak of the Devil… _"Hi. What is it?" Zane chewed on his lip briefly, and then sat on his bed.

"Syrus, I want to…apologize. I didn't handle telling you about Mom and Dad well." Syrus stared at him in total shock. Had Hell Kaiser just said he was sorry? A true bolt out of the blue.

"You weren't so apologetic after our duel." Syrus snapped. _So much for burying the hatchet… _Zane thought dryly. He shrugged, unsure of how to respond without instigating a new fight.

"Hey, are you okay?" Syrus had begun fiercely wiping his eyes. He didn't respond to Zane's question, as he was obviously preoccupied. Zane grabbed his wrist and dragged it away from his face, looking at Syrus's eyes. They appeared normal, but they were swimming with tears.

_­_--At the Rhodes' house--

The whole gang, consisting of Jaden, Hassleberry, Chazz, Bastion, Atticus, and Alexis sat on the various pieces of furniture, discussing strategy.

"If we try and go back to ICU, chances are Zane will kick us out." Atticus said seriously. "So maybe we should go one or two at a time; it'll be less intimidating."

"I don't care if _Hell Kaiser _throws a hissy fit!" Jaden snarled. "I'm not letting him stop me from seeing Syrus."

"I'm with Jaden," said Hassleberry. "We can't be afraid of him. One soldier cannot stand up against a whole army. Safety in numbers, remember?"

"Hassleberry may have a point." Bastion put in. "If we present a united front, perhaps he will see our way."

Alexis nodded. "That sounds all very well Bastion, but remember this is Zane, one of the most stubborn guys on the face of the earth. But then again, why would he deny his hurt brother the opportunity to see his friends?"

"For the same reason he duelled Syrus with the electric collars," Chazz snorted. "Because he's the evil, heartless emperor of Hell." The others broke into snickers at this description of Syrus's intimidating older brother.

"I wouldn't say he's completely heartless; didn't you see that he was upset at the hospital when the doctor told us Syrus might have vision problems, and when you mentioned his parents?" Jaden put in, looking over at the Rhodes. "He's just extremely cold and antisocial at the moment."

"Antisocial? Wow, Jaden, I didn't know you knew such big words." Chazz laughed a little meanly at Jaden. Hassleberry shot him a look.

"Now is not the time for dissension in the ranks, soldiers."

"Chazz, can it!" Alexis glared at him. Chazz sat back, slightly mollified.

"Atty, Lexis, that was your friend's doctor." Mrs. Rhodes, a woman who was the very image of Atticus, stepped into the room. "He's woken up."

"Really?! Alright!" Jaden punched the air. "If he asks to see us, Zane will have to let us in."

"Not necessarily." Mrs. Rhodes held up a hand. "From what I've heard around the water cooler at work, Zane is going to become Syrus's legal guardian. He has every right to bar you entrance to Syrus's room, while he's in ICU, anyways."

"Zane is going to be the Private's guardian?" Hassleberry wore a look of horror. "You mean they'll have to share the same quarters?!"

"That's going to work out _sooo _well." Chazz looked shocked as well. "Right now, they get along about as well as my brothers and me."

"Guys, I'm sure it'll work out fine. Have a little faith."

"Mom, have you actually seen what Zane is like now?" Atticus asked. "He's the polar opposite of what he was._ I_ really can't see this working out well, and you know what a sunny optimist I am." Everyone sweatdropped a little.

"Well, let's not waste time." Jaden got up. "We have to confront Zane sooner or later, and I don't want to leave him alone with Syrus." The gang headed towards the door, intending to make their way to the hospital.

--

"Syrus, what's going on?" Zane tried again. Syrus jerked his hand away and put his hand up to his face. He could barely hear his brother over the pounding in his head.

"Z-Zane," Syrus choked out, "s-something's wrong. There are these big black spots everywhere…" More tears dripped onto the sheets. "And m-my head hurts so much."

Zane pressed the call button. There was something seriously wrong with Syrus, he could feel it. "It's okay," he said softly, drawing Syrus to him in a hug, mindful of his broken arm and ribs. "The doctor will be here soon, and he'll know what's wrong. You'll be alright." _Please God, let me be right._

--

Poor Syrus, I've put him through so much. Too bad it's probably going to get worse, since I don't know how many chapters I'm writing, so I have lots of space in which to torture him and Zaney. Ha ha, I love being evil. R&R, and by the way, if someone can tell me the quote in the previous chapter and what book it comes from, I'll give you a cyber-cookie! Hint hint: Jodi Picoult


	5. Too Many People

I don't think I've ever written a story this fast. Maybe it's because I don't have school, but anyways…

Recap: Jaden and the gang are making battle plans to see Syrus; Zane is going slightly mushy, like a Popsicle in the fridge (I can assure you it won't last long); Syrus is having a little eye trouble.

Disclaimer: I think you can figure it out.

Warning: Physical assault, swearing.

--

The ophthalmologic doctor shone a little light into Syrus's eyes, making small noises as he did so. "How much do they hurt? Is it a fierce, stabbing pain or a dull pain? When did this start?" Syrus answered as best he could, given that his head was still aching beyond belief. _Can you stop the questions and tell me what's wrong?! _He screamed internally. _Why are doctors so secretive?_

Hell Kaiser was lurking in the corner, watching the proceedings with narrowed eyes. The nurse had tried to make him leave the room so the doctor and Syrus could have some privacy, but he had looked so irate when she suggested it that she immediately backed off. His cell phone was vibrating in his pocket, but he ignored it. Probably his stupid agent calling again.

"Well, I'm done with my examination." The doctor straightened up and handed Syrus a pill capsule. "Take this with some water and get some rest." He walked out into the hall without even looking or talking to Hell Kaiser.

"Excuse me." Hell Kaiser followed him into the hall and cornered him against the wall, glaring. "Aren't you going to tell us what's going on?" The doctor, who was an older man with silvery hair, looked coolly in Zane's direction, none too happy with being bothered.

"It's too early to make conclusions, but I think this has to do with the concussion he sustained. I would like to have a neurologist look at him sometime in the near future."

Hell Kaiser almost exploded. "The near future?! He's not a machine that can wait! I want some answers now, if it wouldn't be _too _much trouble." He said this in a tone that clearly implied he was two seconds away from punching the doctor in the face.

"Too put it bluntly, Mr. Truesdale, your brother is most likely going to end up blind." Zane's jaw dropped.

"What?!" He grabbed the doctor by the collar. "What do you mean, blind?!" Hell Kaiser was practically spitting fire from his mouth.

"Put me down right now, before I call security." Hell Kaiser forced his fist to relax, letting the doctor drop to the floor. "Be reasonable now. Many vision-impaired people live perfectly normal lives. Your brother will have to learn to cope, is all."

"Cope." Hell Kaiser stared at him for a moment, no emotion flitting across his face. _That uncaring, insensitive son of a bitch! _Before he knew what he was doing, Zane lashed out and struck the doctor in the jaw with his fist.

The man stumbled back, grasping the wall for support. "You, you…" He too was mad and surprised to say anything. Instead of speaking, he spun on his heel and stormed off.

Hell Kaiser let out the breath he had been holding. _What am I going to tell Syrus?_ As he began moving slowly back to his brother's room, he heard familiar voices.

"Zane!" _Of course, just the people I wanted to see. _He thought sarcastically. It was Jaden and his merry band of friends. "We're here to see Syrus, and you can't make us go away this time." Jaden stared up at the older teen.

"Fine. Go right ahead." Atticus opened his mouth to protest the expected refusal, but then he realized what his former friend had said.

"You're letting us go in?"

"Yes. Syrus just had a sedative, though, so he may be a bit tired." Hell Kaiser turned away from the group, intending to go find a quiet room where he could think. He heard the sounds of everyone walking away.

"Hey, Zane." It was Alexis, standing behind him. He turned back to look as her.

"What is it, Alexis?"

She hesitated for a second. "Well, is something wrong? You seem…upset."

"My parents are dead, my brother's in the hospital, oh, and he's losing his sight. What could possibly be wrong?!" He snapped at her, but wished he could take back the last part the minute he said it. "Don't tell Syrus, please."

She looked positively horrified. "He's going _blind_?" She whispered, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was there.

"The doctor thinks so. Don't tell anyone, because it's not confirmed, and I haven't even told him." Zane sighed heavily. "I'm going downstairs."

"I won't tell anyone. I promise." Alexis said softly. She walked into Syrus's room, lost in thought.

--Syrus's room--

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Jaden grabbed Syrus and hugged him tightly. Syrus gasped in pain. "When do you think you'll be out of here?"

"I don't know." Syrus wheezed. "Maybe sometime in the next few weeks."

"Jaden, his ribs!" Chazz and Hassleberry removed Jaden's arms from Syrus's torso. Syrus decided not to tell them about his eyes; who knows how they'd react?

"Oops, sorry." Jaden grinned at his friend. "I was so worried…you've been asleep for days, and Zane kicked us out of the room when we came to see you."

"Jaden, ix-nay on the ight-fay!" Bastion's Pig Latin message was too late.

"He did what?" Syrus forgot about his eyes for a second. Everyone was suddenly interested in looking elsewhere. "He threw you out of my room while I was unconscious? I think I'll have to talk to him about that."

"Syrus, don't do that." Atticus said. "He was really upset, and I don't think he was thinking straight."

"Well, okay, but if he does it again I'll have to do something." Syrus rubbed his aching eyes. "Sorry, guys, I'm a little tired." He lied. "Alexis, what's up? You're really quiet." Alexis smiled strangely.

"I'm fine, Sy, it's…nothing. Everything's cool." Atticus raised an eyebrow; he could always tell when Alexis was lying. He'd probe her for information later, though. _Maybe she and Zane are finally getting together! _He thought gleefully. _Maybe not…she's got a secret, and I'm going to find it out!_

_­_--Down in another room--

Zane was sitting in a small room that was reserved for people who need quiet time, or those in need of a place to swear/cry without being disturbed. He was holding a magazine in hand, but not reading the text.

_I'm not going to tell him…yet. The neurologist still has to see him, and I'm going to get a second opinion…but how long can I put off telling before he figures it out? Syrus may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he'll be able to tell if he's going blind. _

BRRING!!!!_ Damn phone! _He thought. Hell Kaiser whipped it open. "For the last time, no photo shoots and no soppy interviews!" He shouted at his agent, who was on the other end.

"I haven't scheduled any interviews or photo shoots, but getting a picture of you and your brother would be great…" Hell Kaiser growled. "Okay, no picture! But I called to remind you that you have a duel scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. It's against Heather MacIntyre, that Scottish girl who has a sheep deck."

"I'll crush her and give you something to publicise. But tell all of my appointments for the next two weeks that I'm taking some vacation time, and reschedule them."

"You're so demanding!" She squealed. "But you're the big-shot, so I'll do what you say. Ciao!" She hung up, leaving him to wonder exactly when his agent turned into a fangirl.

"Mr. Zane Truesdale?" A woman in a white coat entered the room. "I'm Dr. Salin, a psychiatrist. Dr. Deir recommended that I speak to your brother. Can I just ask you a few questions about his personality, things like that?"

"Maybe later, I'm not really in the mood." Zane crossed his arms.

"I heard about his eye problems and I'm very sorry. But it's all the more reason to talk to him. Does he know yet?" Zane shook his head. "Here's my pager number. When the two of you feel ready, call me."

"What do you mean, the two of us?" Hell Kaiser put on his most intimidating look. "I'm not the one in the hospital."

"Maybe not, but you've also undergone a psychological trauma as a result of the accident. You can't keep it all bottled up on the inside, you know. It's not healthy." Zane stood up.

"I'm going to go see my brother now." He left her behind, hoping that his deliberate rudeness would deter her from bothering him further. He did not need mental help.

--

This will probably be the last chapter I write before Christmas. Sorry if this hospital thing seems to be dragging on; I'll try and pick things up in the next chapter. Questions will be answered as accurately as possible. R&R!


	6. Still Cruel

I hope you all had a good Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza/etcetera!

As you read last chapter, Zane was none too pleased with Dr. Salin telling him that he needs psychiatric help. Syrus is going blind, and only Zane and Alexis know. Oh yeah, and Zane punched a doctor in the face.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX. I asked Santa, but to no avail  I also don't own the Ghostbusters.

Warning: Swearing, Zane acting evil. You've been warned.

--

Syrus was lying in his hospital bed, watching the dying light play on the ceiling. Outside the window, the sun was setting. It had been three days since he had seen the ophthalmologist. _Three days, and I still don't know anything… _Syrus's eyesight hadn't been getting any worse, but then again, it hadn't been getting any better. Zane was avoiding the subject like the plague, and his friends didn't know anything. _Something must be really wrong. The doctors are coming more frequently, and they're treating me like spun glass. Maybe they think I'll snap if I get anymore bad news. _Syrus's chest tightened as he thought of his parents. _Mom, Dad, I miss you so much! Zane is acting nicer, but it's not the same. _He sniffled a little, trying to pull the tears back into his eyes.

"Syrus?" Syrus looked up to see a woman in a white coat standing in the door, clipboard in hand. He squinted a little, and wiped his eyes, trying to get a clearer view. "I'm Dr. Salin. Can I come in?"

"Fine." He shrugged. She sat down on a chair, arranging her skirt. "Do you know what's going on with me? Have my doctors told you anything?" Syrus looked up at her in hope. "Nobody will talk to me about my eyes."

"Well, I'll do my best to find something out for you, okay? But right now I want to talk."

"About what?" Syrus raised an eyebrow, a trick Zane had taught him years ago. _Oh, no. They think I'm crazy, so they're getting me a shrink!_

"Anything. What's on your mind?" Syrus stared at her. _Yep, she's a shrink._

"You're a psychiatrist, right? That's why you're here." He stared at her. "I don't need to talk to you. I'm fine." She laughed. "What?!"

"You are just like your brother!" She kept laughing, but Syrus shot her a murderous look.

"Don't say that!" He fairly yelled at her. Dr. Salin stopped laughing, looking shocked. "Just…don't." _First he says it, now her. Am I really that much like my brother?_

"Syrus, what's the matter?" Syrus started to cry again. "It's okay. Take your time." She patted him on the shoulder as he made a tremendous effort to stop.

"It's nothing…I was just thinking about my parents when you came in and I'm a little emotional."

"I understand. What you've been through the last few days would be enough to make a grown man cry. Believe me, I know." She smiled again. Syrus managed a weak smile. "Are you sure that you don't want to talk?"

"I guess I'll have to eventually, won't I?" She said nothing. He sighed. "I can't believe that they're gone. I mean, we were going out to dinner, and then…" He broke off. "I don't even know when their funeral is, but the lawyer is coming to see Zane and me tomorrow. There are papers to sign and other things."

"You're still in the grieving process for your parents, Syrus. Grieving for a loved one can last a lifetime, but I can promise you that things will get better, and you'll start to feel more normal. Give it some time. How do you feel about…your brother?"

Syrus gave her a weird look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you like him? What's it like to live with him? That kind of thing." He fidgeted a bit, trying to get comfortable. His fingers clutched the sheet of his bed tightly. "I noticed that you didn't like me comparing you to him. Why is that?"

"Zane's…Zane, I suppose. I don't really feel like talking about him, if that's alright with you."

Instead, they talked about Duel Academy, Syrus's friends, the weather, and even touched upon the subject of the accident. "I thought I dreamed it. I mean, I was in the hospital, and I hadn't woken up fully. Then I had this nightmare where I was in the car and everyone was gone, so I thought…"

"Memories can be replayed as dreams. It's a fairly normal occurrence." Dr. Salin looked towards the door, and turned back to Syrus, lowering her voice. "I know that you don't want to talk about your brother, but I have to ask you…is your brother usually very stubborn?"

Syrus's mouth twitched into a smile. "Is my hair blue?" She nodded.

"I thought as much. Whether he wants to admit it or not, Zane's going through a trauma as well, and he _will _need help. He's in denial."

"You'll be waiting a long time for that talk. My brother never talks about anything that's bothering him, to anyone. Especially now."

"I guess I'll have to come up with a new strategy to lure him into conversation. It was good to talk to you."

"Yeah, I feel better now. Will you come back?" Dr. Salin nodded her head, stood up and exited the room.

--

Syrus slept more peacefully that night. _It feels good to talk to someone who isn't a friend or relative. _He thought as he drifted off to sleep.

--Outside Syrus's hospital room--

The next morning, Hell Kaiser was pacing the floor outside of Syrus's room, waiting for the lawyer, Mr. Shaw, to show up. Inside, Syrus was trying to read an email from Jaden. Zane was not in the best mood, partly because he was not a morning person, and partly because he was wearing a suit. _God damn it, why is he so late? I have a life. _He silently ranted for a few minutes, until the slightly pudgey lawyer showed up.

"I'm sorry for my lateness, Mr. Truesdale. Traffic was bad, and…"

"Yes, yes. Let's get on with it; Syrus has a doctor to see in half an hour." He didn't really, but Zane wanted to make the man get a move on. The two entered the room where Syrus was sitting up in bed.

Mr. Shaw read off some standard legal stuff about them being the sole heirs to their parents' estate, how they were both mentally capable of understanding what he was saying, yada, yada, yada.

"Zane Christopher Truesdale, as you are your brother's closest living relative, and because your parents made it plain in their will, you will be given total guardianship of him. Sign here." He handed Zane a pen and the latter wrote his name on the piece of paper. Syrus watched silently.

The lawyer turned to Syrus. "You must sign as well." He took the pen and was about to write his name when Mr. Shaw said "Once you sign, your brother will be your guardian, and in all decisions pertaining to your education, health, residence, etcetera, he has the last say. Do you understand?"

Syrus paused. "Yes. But what if I don't agree with one of his decisions? I mean if it's important and I really don't agree." Hell Kaiser watched coolly as Mr. Shaw coughed into a handkerchief.

"If there's an issue that you two have to discuss, I can return later for the document. Just don't lose it, please." Hell Kaiser waved him out, never once taking his eyes off Syrus.

"Is there a problem, little brother? I'm getting the feeling that you don't want to sign."

Syrus thinned his mouth. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable having you make all decisions about my life."

"Mom and Dad did. Am I so different?"

"Yes, and you know it. How do I know that once I sign, you won't become a control freak?" Hell Kaiser smiled a smile that sent a chill racing up the smaller teen's spine. "What's so funny?"

"I don't think you really understand what's happening. If you don't put your name on that paper, do you know what might occur? The government could send you off to foster care, and you'd probably never see me or your friends again." He smiled his chilling smile again. "And just to make things clear, I _don't _need you to sign that paper for me to become your guardian."

"You don't?" Syrus's head snapped up, and his hazy vision focussed on Zane. "What do you mean, you don't? I need to sign it."

"Well, how can someone who has been institutionalized because of their psychiatric health know when to sign a paper that will do them good?"

"Institutionalized?! What the hell are you talking about? I'm not crazy!"

"That's debatable. You tried to head off into the ocean, on a flimsy raft, when you know you can't swim. That, coupled with your low self-esteem, could be interpreted as a suicidal tendency. Suicidal people need to be kept safe, and incidentally, they are exempt from having to sign legal papers." Hell Kaiser was clearly enjoying freaking Syrus out as much as he could. Syrus was practically crying.

"You wouldn't have me put away! You're my brother." Hell Kaiser was unmoved by this.

"Sign it, or things are going to get very ugly."

"How could you threaten me with that? Don't you have a heart?!"

"I only want what's best for you." Whether he was lying or not, Syrus couldn't tell, but he had had it with his brother.

"Bullshit. You want to lord it over me that _you're _the one in control. I'll sign, but I'll never forget this." Syrus snatched up the pen and scrawled his name. "Happy? Good, then LEAVE!!!" He shouted the last bit and threw the paper at Zane. It fluttered to the ground.

Hell Kaiser picked it up off the floor and left without a word. _Well, that certainly didn't go as I planned, _he thought cynically. It did not seem like a good way to start off, but never did it occur to Hell Kaiser that he had crossed a line.

--Jaden's bedroom--

Jaden was sitting on his bed, playing Solitaire, when he heard the phone ring. "Yuki residence!" He announced cheerfully.

"Jay, it's me." The voice on the other end sounded extremely despondent. "Sorry to bug you, but…"

"No problem, Sy. You sound worried. What's up?"

"Zane just threatened to have me institutionalized if I didn't agree to him being my legal guardian." This came out in a rush and Jaden sat straight up, gaping.

"He'll have you put away! That's nuts." He stood up and began pacing. "He's really changed, hasn't he?" His gaze grew a little distant as he remembered the old Zane, the one who would never hurt Syrus like this.

Syrus gripped the phone tightly. "I…I guess he has. The last few days, it's been like the old Zane is coming back, but when he walked in this afternoon, he was just so _different._ I'm not sure I can take his mood swings anymore, Jay."

"If he bugs you again, buddy, you know who to call." In fact, the minute Jaden got off the phone with his friend he was planning on calling the gang to inform them of the developments.

"The Ghostbusters?" Syrus joked lightly, trying to alleviate some of the tense silence.

"Glad to hear you still have a sense of humour. How's your eyes?" Jaden decided it was best to distract his friend from the topic of Zane.

"Not any worse, but not any better, either. Would you mind coming to the hospital and hanging out?"

"Of course I don't mind! I'll bring some movies and games, and it'll be just like a sleepover! Except I won't sleep over." He said thoughtfully.

"You don't have to go to all that trouble, Jaden. I don't want to become a burden."

"You're never a burden, Syrus." The brunette said seriously. "No matter what _anyone _says. See you in a few."

--Meanwhile--

Hell Kaiser was at the gym, lifting weights to work off his tension. Not duelling in the last few days had made him edgier than usual. The workout room was pretty much empty, except for one little old man moving at a snail's pace on a treadmill. _Where's your walker, Grandpa? _He thought sarcastically. Zane walked over to a piece of machinery and started doing rapid pull-ups. This activity immersed him so much that he did not see the hands coming towards his back.

_SHOVE_

He hit the ground with a thud, but stood up quite quickly, intending to kick the ass belonging to the person who had pushed him. Zane came face to face with Atticus, his former best friend. _How did he know I was here? _Was the thought that went through his head just before he ducked to avoid a mean right hook.

"You cruel, twisted, manipulative, jackass!" Zane had never seen Atticus in such a rage, except for the time when some guy had grabbed Alexis's butt when they were in middle school. But even that event hadn't warranted this much anger.

He blocked the next two blows that came at him, but went down on his knees when Atticus slammed a fist into his stomach, then kicked him in the shin. "What are you doing?!" He glared up at Atticus, who seized him by the collar and yanked him up to eye level.

"I just got an interesting phone call from Jaden telling me about how you threatened your brother. How could you be so malicious when he's hurt like that? Tell me!" Atticus shoved Zane backwards onto the floor.

"I have nothing to say to you, or any other member of your pathetic group. What goes on between my brother and I is not your business." He stood and straightened his clothes.

"Syrus is our friend, and how he's treated is our business. If you ever say anything like that to him again, you'll end up with more than just a kick in the shins. That's a promise." The two young men stared at each other coldly, neither backing down.

"Get out of here before I have you arrested for assault." Atticus flicked his hair out of his face and turned away. "Who told you I would be here anyway?" Zane added.

"Your agent. Remember what I said, _Zaney_." Atticus stormed towards the door.

Hell Kaiser growled angrily and pulled out his cell phone with extra force. _Once I'm done with her, she'll never speak another word. _

--

Zane is a little bipolar the way I write him, isn't he? He and Syrus need to work out their differences before they end up killing each other. Good thing Syrus has Dr. Salin to talk to.

This chapter was slightly darker than the rest. I didn't plan it that way; it was just kind of the way it developed. R&R, but no flames!


	7. Shrink and Shroud

I'm glad you all liked the last chapter; even though it was dark. I'm not sure if Zane could actually have Syrus committed in real life, but it seemed evil enough a threat for him.

Disclaimer: I don't own GX.

Warning: Swearing, blah blah blah, the usual.

--

Syrus was curled up in a ball on his side, feeling nothing but emptiness. Jaden's visit had cheered him for a little while, but he had quickly sunk into depression after he left. _Nothing like seeing a healthy friend can put you in the dumps so quickly. _He winced. Seeing.

After Jaden left, Syrus had gotten such a bad headache that he could barely move for the pain. He was convinced that it was connected to his eyes, because they had started throbbing after the headache stopped. _Why do I bother going on? Great, now I'm sounding suicidal. Maybe I should let Zane stick me in an asylum. _He hadn't seen his brother since their confrontation, nor did he want to.

Never had Syrus felt so far away from his older brother.

--

Zane dialled his agent's number with shaking fingers. Not shaking because he was afraid, mind you, but because he was so irate. _How dare she give out my location to anyone! I should fire her on the spot. _The phone rang once, twice, and then was picked up.

"Hello, this is Eloise Jannys, agent of Pro Duelist Zane Truesdale. How may I -" Zane cut her off abruptly.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." His icy tone might have frightened a lesser agent, but she hadn't been in the business for 10 years to be frightened by some emo teenager.

"Zane, honey, I don't know what you're talking about." Her sweet tone made him want to gag. _No one calls me honey and gets away with it!_

"You told Atticus Rhodes that I would be at the gym. I thought I told you never to tell _anyone _my whereabouts. I have a good mind to fire you right now, in fact!" Hell Kaiser's grip tightened on his phone.

"Oh, _that_! I didn't think your policy applied to friends, and he said that he was an old friend from school. He wasn't a fanboy, was he? I can notice up a restraining order…"

"Don't try and weasel your way out of this. If you make one more screw-up, I'm terminating my contract. And save your honeys for your boyfriends. If you can get any, that is." Zane snapped his phone shut and shoved it in a pocket without so much as a goodbye.

At her office, Ms. Jannys chewed thoughtfully on a pen. As Hell Kaiser's agent, she had learned quite a bit about him by going through notices, letters, things that she had permission to touch, just not read. But there was no harm in skimming these things over, was there? She had put up with enough of his mood swings and temper tantrums. It was time to fight back. _He'll regret all the nasty things he's said to me. I'll take away the thing most important to him. _She picked up the phone and started tapping in a number she knew by heart.

"Mr. Shroud?"

--

"Hi Syrus. Not feeling well?" Dr. Salin poked her head in the door to see her young patient with a hangdog look on his face.

"No." He turned towards the wall and sighed heavily. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Salin could see he was depressed. But then, even a normal person could see that.

"Would it help if you talked?" She put a hand on his shoulder. "Remember what I said about how it makes you feel better?" He pushed her hand away and turned over.

"Go ahead. Start asking me questions." He scowled; a cold look that looked so much like Zane's that she was surprised. "Just don't ask me anything about…_him_." Syrus said this was so much vehemence that she started back.

"About Zane?" _Uh-oh, what happened?_

"Yeah." _Okay, I guess we'll stay off that topic. He looks ready to rip something to shreds, or sob hysterically._

"What's it like at your school? I've never stayed in dorms, even in college." Syrus perked up a bit at the mention of his favourite place in the world.

"It's so awesome! The weather barely ever gets cold, and the dorms are great. Well, Slifer's kind of the pits, but I never minded it much. Chazz is always complaining, though." He laughed softly.

"Who's Chazz?" She wanted to keep him on this track. Syrus was becoming more animated by the minute, talking about his school friends. He had given her some basic details the last time they met, but now he was going even more into depth.

"My best friend, Jaden, is the top duelist at the school, but he loves to sleep in class."

"That sounds like a bit of a paradox," she smiled. "I suppose you two get along great."

"We do. He's one of the kindest people I've ever met. When I first entered the school, I wasn't much of a duelist, but he kept cheering me on and giving me confidence until I believed in myself. Everyone likes Jaden, because he's got such an optimistic attitude. He can be a bit clueless at times, but I wouldn't have him change for the world." Syrus was sitting up, beaming as he basked in the memories of his best friend.

"Did Zane like him?" She knew that this was treading on dangerous ground, but she detected that Syrus had some issues behind his brother, and needed to be introduced to the topic of Zane gently.

The bluenette went blank at the unexpected question, then nodded slowly. "Zane liked him. He said that Jaden would be the top student in the school once he was gone. I sort of, well, got the feeling that maybe Zane would rather have Jaden as a brother."

"Syrus, that isn't true. Your brother loves you."

"I think it's partially true. Jaden wasn't an embarrassment like I am." He looked down a little guiltily. "Some days, I liked my friend better than my own brother. He was everything Zane wasn't. But Zane's been my brother for all of my life, and he wasn't always so cold. So, I felt _torn _when they duelled."

"Because you feel so loyal to both of them. I completely understand. Just so you don't feel guilty, it's a fact that children who grow up somewhat emotionally neglected often choose a friend as a substitute family member."

"I wasn't emotionally neglected. My parents were always there for me, but I felt like I was constantly in Zane's shadow." Syrus twisted a lock of hair around one finger and pulled gently.

"And Jaden accepted you for who you were, not for who you were related to." He nodded earnestly.

"That's right." He looked around covertly. "Secretly, I sometimes wished that Jaden was my brother, not Zane." Dr. Salin leaned forwards and started to say something, but she was interrupted.

"A-hem." Hell Kaiser was standing in the doorway, watching coolly. "I need to speak with _my brother _now, if you don't mind. It's important."

She stood slowly, eyeing him up. "I'll go then. And you really must schedule an appointment so I can assess how much therapy you _will _need." Zane turned puce and opened his mouth to say something Syrus was sure would be incredibly rude, so he broke in.

"Can you tell my doctor that I need to talk to him about my eyes? I had a massive headache this afternoon." She smiled at him.

"Of course." And left, leaving him alone with Zane, who, by the displeased look on his visage, had heard most of their conversation.

--

I think I'll leave it there for now. For those of you who don't know, a visage is a face. R&R!


	8. Change and Forgiveness

To recap: Zane's agent is conspiring with Shroud; Syrus's conversation with his psychiatrist was overheard by Zane.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Warning: Truesdale fluffiness and tears ahead. You have been warned.

**--**

The two brothers simply looked at each other for a moment, silver staring into steel-blue. Zane looked away first, and proceeded to sit down and look out the window. Syrus blinked in surprise. He had expected Zane to get mad, or to just leave the room. He waited, but Zane made no move to speak.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, and all the while, the silence was killing Syrus. _Why won't he talk to me? Is he just too mad to speak, or is this some form of twisted punishment? _

"Zane?" Silence. "Zane, please. Say something, don't just sit there." He continued looking out the window, but opened his mouth to speak.

"So. The truth finally comes out." The teal-haired teen looked at Syrus, his face emotionless, but Syrus thought he could see just the smallest hint of hurt in his eyes.

Syrus took a shaky breath. "I won't pretend that I sometimes wished you weren't my brother, or that you were different. I never meant for you to hear that. I've never told anyone before and all I can say is I'm sorry that I've hurt you. So, so sorry." Tears were running down his face.

"Sorry doesn't take it back." Zane said quietly. He clenched the arm of his chair. "I knew that you were afraid of me, but I never suspected that you hated me that much."

"I don't hate you, Zane. I love you." Zane didn't look that convinced.

"You love me, but you don't want me as a brother. Make up your mind. What do you want?!" The last part came out harsher than he intended, but the words struck home. Syrus broke down into hysterical sobs.

"I want my life back! I want Mom and Dad to still be alive. I don't want to be in the hospital anymore. But most of all, I want you to go back to the way you were, full of respect and love." He wiped his eyes. "What happened to you, Zane? Why did you have to change?"

Zane was utterly taken aback. Syrus had always been a little weepy, but he never screamed out his problems like this. He would bottle it up inside until he was rotting from the inside out.

"Answer me! Why, Zane, why?!"

Zane began talking, choosing his words carefully, so as not to set Syrus off again. "After I lost to Aster, I couldn't win a single duel. I participated in an Underground match because I was…" Syrus cut him off sharply.

"I'm not talking about recently, Zane. I'm talking about how you changed after you went off to that dojo in the Himalayas. When you got back, the person I knew as my brother was gone. And he's still gone."

Zane stared at his brother in a state of sick, shocked horror. The words hit him like a ton of bricks. _Oh my God, did I really change that much? I never noticed, but I guess I wouldn't. If I transformed like he says I did, then no wonder our relationship has never been great. _"I didn't realize… was I so…" He couldn't find the words to explain his actions. Syrus could almost see pieces of his Hell Kaiser persona slipping away by the second. So, he pressed on, hoping to get through to his older brother.

"You were. You used to have a sense of humour, Zane, and you were fun to be around. Then you turned all cold and distant. You never played with me anymore; all you did was lecture." Syrus fell back against the pillows, tired out. "I used to think that you were just like your dragons. And deep down, I hated them for changing you. But last year, when the Shadow Riders attacked, and you saved me from Camula, I thought that I finally had the real you back. Then you left for the Pro Leagues and became…this stranger. I mean, you duelled me with the electrodes, and threatened to have me committed!" These were both sore spots with him, but Syrus needed to get the message across.

Zane put his face into his hands, trying to collect his thoughts. _He's right. After that duel with Camula, I felt closer with my brother than ever. How could I have been so blind and hurt him so much after we made that bond? _Memories of their duel, and his behaviour after Syrus woke up in the hospital rushed back at him. Realization slapped him in the face. _I am a horrible brother, not to mention a horrible friend.. Jaden should have been his brother. He's been there for Syrus more than I have. But it can't be too late. I have to make this right, before I lose the thing most important to me._ (1)

--Meanwhile, in a café a few blocks away--

Mr. Shroud and Zane's agent sat in a private, secluded booth in the back. No, they were not on a date. They were discussing a course of revenge against their common enemy, namely, Zane Truesdale.

"Are you sure about that?" Ms. Jannys eyed the Southern (he is Southern in the 4Kids version, right?) man. "I know he's a bit dark, but would he really go that far?"

"Oh, I can assure you he did. He showed no mercy over it either." Shroud picked up his coffee cup and sipped it, watching her expression. "Just like in the Underground duels."

"Once that comes out, he'll be disgraced, and declared unfit to boot." She smirked evilly. "I love it. That brat has had it coming for a while now. Can you get me the tapes and records?"

"My source will have them in a few weeks. Keep stringing him along, keep him in the dark." He stood up, picking up his hat and putting it on. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Jannys."

"The same to you." She cooed.

--Back in the hospital--

Zane was unable to move, paralyzed by the fact that he had been the worst brother on the face of the earth. Even worse than Atticus, who was always trying to set up Alexis; worse than the Princetons, who had intimidated and disowned Chazz. He wanted to reach out to Syrus and say the right words, but he was so afraid of being pushed away.

"Syrus. Don't be sorry for not wanting me to be your brother." The words popped out of his mouth before his brain processed them. Somehow, though, they felt _true_.

"Huh?" Syrus stared at Zane out of bloodshot eyes. "What did you say?"

"I said don't be sorry. You have every right to wish me out of your life. I haven't been a good brother. You would have been better off with Jaden. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am. I'm so sorry for hurting you for years." He wiped a rare, stray tear from his face. This was a side of Zane Syrus hadn't seen for years. "But as I said earlier, sorry doesn't make it better. I'm going to make up for my behaviour to you, even if it takes a lifetime. I hope that one day you can forgive me." Syrus couldn't take this with a straight face and started to cry again.

"I have nothing to forgive you for. You were doing what you thought was right. How can I fault you for that, when that's all anyone ever tries to do?" Zane laughed a little.

"How philosophic." He sniffed. "What do you think about wiping the slate clean and starting over?"

"I'm good with that." Syrus smiled a smile of pure happiness. _Hell Kaiser is gone, finally gone._ "So, are you back now?" Zane enveloped Syrus in a tight, warm hug, similar to the ones their father used to give them.

"As back as I'm ever going to be. I can't promise an instant change, though." He stroked his brother's hair and frowned a little. "Old habits die hard, unfortunately."

"So long as you don't use those shock things or that new deck anymore, I'm good." Syrus gave his brother a grin as he released him. "The gang is going to be thrilled. Especially Atticus. He keeps going on about getting you together with Alexis when you're more…normal."

Zane rolled his eyes. _Some things never change. _"I'm not looking forward to seeing them again. I was a jerk, and they're not going to forget that." He examined his hands.

"They'll understand. Don't worry." Syrus wasn't used to seeing his brother this insecure. "Shall I call them and tell them to come over?"

"Tomorrow. It's getting kind of late." The sun was sinking behind the horizon. _Wow, I guess Dr. Salin and I talked for longer than I thought. _Syrus said to himself. As if reading his mind, Zane said "I guess I should thank that psychiatrist. After all, if you hadn't opened up to her, I wouldn't have realized what I was doing."

"Good idea. Maybe you should schedule some appointments to talk with her yourself." Syrus suggested hopefully.

"We'll see." Zane gave Syrus another hug. "Do you need pain medication or anything before you go to sleep?"

"No. My eyes actually feel better than they have. My head isn't hurting anymore, either. Maybe I can get out of here soon!" Syrus was ecstatic over this fact.

Zane didn't have the heart to tell him about the threat of blindness hanging over their heads. _I can't spoil things now, when everything is coming back together. _"Sure." He lied lamely. Syrus, luckily, was so tired that he didn't notice. "Sleep well."

He walked into the hallway and rested his head against the cool wall. _Maybe the doctor was wrong. If his eyes and head are feeling better, then maybe he isn't going blind after all. _

"Why, Zane, fancy seeing you here." Zane's head snapped around and he stared in shock at a person he hadn't seen for quite some time. "What's the matter, don't you remember me?" The Southern drawl was unmistakable.

"Shroud!"

--

1. Remember this from somewhere?

Hope that chapter wasn't too mushy for you. Personally, I hate writing like that, but the situation called for it.

So, Zane and Syrus have made up, and Shroud has shown his evil face at the hospital. What will happen next? Keep reading! R&R.


	9. Reunion

Recap: Zane's finally returned to his senses, but Shroud has shown up to disturb the peace.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX. However, I do own my ideas.

Warning: Swearing, tears

--

"What are you doing here?!" Zane demanded, staring down his old agent with his glare of Doom.

"I came to see you, of course. To give you another chance to have me as your agent." Shroud drawled, a sick smirk on his face.

"Why would I want that? As of now, I'm done with the Underground. Go find yourself another sap to leech off of." Zane was sure Shroud had something else up his sleeve, and he intended to keep him as far away as possible. "How did you find me?"

"Simple logic, Zane. It's been all over the newspapers that Hell Kaiser's parents are dead, and his little brother injured. I put two and two together, and here you are, just as I predicted." Shroud looked rather pleased with himself, but Zane was having none of it.

"Leave here right now, and maybe I won't kick your Southern ass for tricking me into becoming something I despised." Zane stepped forwards menacingly.

"I made you a champion again. I was the one who helped you when your so-called friends didn't. Are you really going to repay me for that by throwing me out?"

Zane paused. _He's right. _He shook his head. _And it's that kind of thinking that got me into this mess in the first place. I can't let him trick me again. _"Yes. You preyed upon me when I was at my weakest; I haven't forgotten. My friends were there for me all along, but I didn't see that. If I lost my reputation today, I wouldn't care one bit! What matters to me right now is Syrus, and earning back my friends' respect." He shot a murderous glare at Shroud. "Now get out of here, before I break my promise never to use the shock collars again."

Shroud took a few steps back. He had seen first hand how much damage Zane could dish out with the devices, and truth be told, he wasn't much of a duelist himself. "You've made a big mistake, Zane. One that you _will _pay dearly for." With that, he spun on his heel and left.

"Tell it to someone who cares!" Zane yelled after him. This earned him a frown from the night nurse. _Stupid Shroud, how dare he show up again?! But I can't pretend I'm not worried about what he said… _Zane headed down to the small room reserved for sleeping family members. Tonight it was mercifully empty.

As Zane slept, dreams rampaged through his tired mind. Visions of himself turning into a Cyber Dragon and crushing Syrus; being strangled and electrocuted by the shock collars in a cage; Hell Kaiser pushing him off an icy cliff; and most terrifying of all, standing over the graves of his friends and brother, while Shroud, and oddly, his agent, behind him whispering: 'It's all your fault'.

"NO!" He woke with a start and looked around the room, slowly coming back to reality. Zane wiped the sweat off of his face and flopped back down. _It's been a long time since I've had nightmares like that. Now I really don't want to go back to sleep. _He rubbed his eyes with one hand, trying to push the images out of his head. _Everything's going to be alright. The nightmare of my life is over. _Zane chanted this over and over, attempting to make himself believe it.

--The Next Morning--

Jaden Yuki was snapped out of a sound sleep by the sound of his phone ringing. "Huh?" He knocked it off the receiver and yawned into it "Yuki residence."

"Jaden! It's me, Syrus! Are you still in bed?" Jaden proceeded to wake himself up more. Syrus sounded happier than he had in a long time.

"Not anymore. I'm trying to catch up on my sleep. Spring Break ends in a few days, you know. You sound really happy, Sy. What's going on?"

"Can you round of the gang and bring them to the hospital? I have a surprise for all of you." Jaden chuckled.

"Sure thing, buddy. But won't Zane get all mad if we show up?" His expression became a little more serious, unusual for the normally carefree Slifer.

"No, he won't. Come as soon as you can!"

--In the hospital corridor, outside of Syrus's room--

"This surprise better be good." Chazz grumbled. "I was trying to catch up on my beauty sleep when the slacker called and woke me up." Jaden had followed Syrus's directions and called everyone promptly, even though it was eight AM during vacation. Bastion had gone off to an art museum with his parents, so he was not present, but the others promised to fill him in.

"Calm down, soldier. You trying to get beauty sleep is like fighting a losing battle. I'm sure Private Truesdale has a good reason for getting us up." Hassleberry reassured him.

"Zane better not give us any trouble." Atticus muttered darkly. "If he does…"

"Atty, it may not be the best idea to start a fight right here." Alexis sighed. _I wonder if he's still a little under Nightshroud's influence. _She thought worriedly. _He's been so touchy lately. _

"Why not, Lex? We're in a hospital." Everyone sweatdropped. _He has got to have the weirdest logic of anyone I've ever met. _Alexis covered her eyes.

"Guys!" Syrus came out of the room, grinning madly. "You made it! Where's Bastion?" He was in a wheelchair (doctor's orders), but he looked healthier than when they had seen him last. His arm was still broken, but his ribs were on the mend.

"He had a family thing he had to do." Alexis supplied. "So, what's the big surprise? Are you getting out of the hospital soon?"

Syrus shook his head, sadness clouding his features for a moment. "No. I'm not sure when I'm getting out. But it's funny that you should mention families…" He turned back towards his room. "They're here. Come on out."

The group watched the door to see who Syrus was talking to. The barely open door widened, and as Zane stepped out, everyone's eyes widened.

He was no longer wearing his black leather clothes, or the cruel smirk that had always seemed to be on his face. Instead, he had on a blue shirt and a pair of jeans. He looked at his friends a little hesitantly, as if ashamed.

Jaden and Chazz stared as if they couldn't believe their eyes; Hassleberry muttered "Sam Hill!" Alexis had to be supported by Atticus as her legs turned to jelly.

Atticus locked eyes with his best friend. Zane's gaze showed shame, fear, and just a little bit of pleading. Alexis brushed her brother's hands off of her arm and gave him a long look. He nodded and stepped towards Zane. "…Zane?"

Zane was shaking at the prospect of talking to him. "A-Atticus, guys…I'm sorry. I can't even begin to say how sorry I am. I hurt all of you and if you never spoke to me again, I'd deserve it." He bowed his head, fully expecting to be chewed out.

Atticus went right up to him and tipped his chin up so that the two were staring each other in the eyes. After a few heart-pounding moments, he smiled broadly and threw his arms around his best friend. "I forgive you. We forgive you. It's all water under the bridge. Just say you won't do it again." He rambled on, trying to convey his meaning. It was understood; for Zane's grey-blue eyes filled with tears. _I must have known what I was doing when I chose them as my friends. _He hugged Atticus back.

After that, all hell broke loose.

Alexis let out a scream/sob of joy and ran forward to grab Zane in a tight embrace; Jaden whooped and started yelling "I knew you'd come back!" Hassleberry pounded the bluenette on the back and gave him a proper military salute. Even Chazz couldn't contain his emotions and joined the group hug that the scream-fest had turned into. Syrus sat back in his chair and watched tearfully. _If I died right now, I'd die happy._

--

After the nurses had come and calmed them all down, by means of threatening sedatives, they adjourned to Syrus's room to catch up.

"What's the first thing you want to do, now that you've come back to your senses?" Jaden queried from his position at the foot of Syrus's bed. Opting not to sit in a chair, he was cross-legged on the mattress instead. "Make a public apology?"

"I think him turning normal will send enough of a message, but you could make a statement for a magazine or something." Alexis suggested. She was sitting in a chair, Atticus on her right, Zane on her left.

Zane nodded. "I probably will. But I think I will make a personal apology to Chancellor Sheppard. He was my master, and I treated him like dirt."

"At least you were fair. You treated everyone like dirt." Chazz quipped. This earned him a whack on the back of the head by Hassleberry.

"Pipe down, soldier. The Lieutenant feels bad enough as it is."

"We should celebrate!" announced the ever-cheerful Atticus. "I'll organize a party. Maybe we can hold it here in the hospital, and all the sick kids can come, too! Some of them must be your fans. It'd be nice to do something, all of us together, before we head back to school next week." Everyone sweat-dropped at the mention of an Atticus-planned party.

"Absolutely not!" Alexis fairly yelled. She didn't think that involving a lot of unhealthy children was a great idea, especially when Atticus was the one coming up with suggestions. "They're here to get better, not become permanently scarred. Don't you remember the clown incident?"

"What clown incident?" Jaden asked interestedly. "What happened?"

"Atticus had to play the roll of a clown to cheer up some kids in the pediatric ward a while ago. I'm not going to go into details, but after one day, practically every kid on the floor had a nightlight…"

"Okay, I really don't want to know." Syrus said, giving Atticus a weird look.

"Same here." Chazz agreed. Hassleberry nodded emphatically.

Atticus was unfazed. "It'll be just us then. When should we have it?" Zane sighed.

"Atticus, as much as I like parties," this made Syrus raise his eyebrows, "my parents' funeral is the day after tomorrow. I don't know if I'll feel much like partying." The gang sobered up quick.

"No problem, Zane. Would you mind if we came?" Jaden asked hesitantly.

"I'd be honoured if you did. I'm sure Mom and Dad would like it too." They were all silent for a moment, remembering.

--A few hours later--

The gang had exchanged their goodbyes and a few last hugs. "We'll stop by tomorrow." Jaden promised. "I'll bring a spare deck; if you don't practice duelling, you'll get rusty." He told Syrus.

"Thanks Jay. I'm looking forward to being back at Duel Academy, even if I get back a few days late. This eye thing should clear up soon." He stated confidently. Zane winced internally.

"If you need to talk, Zane, you've got my number." Atticus smiled at him. "I don't care if it's the middle of the night. _Call _if you get even the slightest grey feeling."

"I will, Atticus. Thanks so much for your help." He hugged Atticus and Alexis one last time, and then was left alone with Syrus. "You'd better get to bed, Sy. It's 9 o'clock."

Syrus began peeling off his day clothes and changing into his pyjamas. "So, have you heard anything from the eye doctor? Because this bad vision thing is starting to get annoying." Zane reached out to steady him as Syrus tried to pull on his night shirt, but got it stuck on his head. "Ahhh! It's alive!"

"Funny." Zane cracked a small smile and jerked it down the rest of the way. "I'll pump your doctors for information tomorrow, 'kay?" _Or, I would, if I didn't already know what the problem is…_

"That's great." Syrus snuggled down into his sheets. "Am I coming to the funeral?" He asked, right out of the blue.

"Of course." Zane replied, a little shocked. "Why wouldn't you? That is, if you want to come."

"I do, but what if the doctors won't let me? They stuck me in a wheelchair when I was just going to say hi to some friends!" Syrus looked very upset all of a sudden. He huddled up into a ball. "Sometimes I think I'll never get out of here, or that my eyes will never be normal."

_Syrus must be really tired. He went from cracking jokes to a depressed mood in a heartbeat. _Zane sat down on the bed and sat Syrus in his lap. "If you want to come, then you'll come, even if I have to smuggle you out. Don't worry." He hugged him. "And you will leave this place, I promise. But you have to be a little patient. You were unconscious for a few days after being in a car accident. They just want to be careful. As for your eyes…" he faltered, unsure of what to say. Zane didn't want to tell a lie, but he didn't want to tell him the truth just yet. "They'll be fine."

Syrus leaned his head against Zane's chest and breathed deeply. The two sat that way for about fifteen minutes, until Syrus fell asleep. Zane laid him down gently on the bed and covered him with the sheets. "Goodnight." He whispered into his ear. Syrus's eye twitched under the lid, but didn't open. Zane opened the door, careful to not let any light in the room, and left.

--

And so, this chapter ends on a cuddlier note. Luckily for all the kids in the hospital, an Atticus-type party disaster was averted.

Next time…well, I'm not sure about next chapter. I might write the funeral, but it could be a bit boring, so it might become a small segment. R&R!


	10. Funeral

Sorry it took so long to update. Between studying for exams and preparing a speech I have to make, I haven't had any time for writing. Not to mention my writer's cramp, and a new story I've been working on…but anyways, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO GX and all that jazz.

Warning: Sadness, swearing

--

Zane stood in front of the mirror, knotting his tie carefully. When he was done, he took a step back to survey himself in the mirror. _I look like Dad_,he thought sadly. _I miss you both so much! _A few tears splattered on the bathroom counter and he wiped his face quickly. There was no use in wasting his energy before the funeral had even begun. He was sure that he'd cry plenty there. _And besides, Syrus needs me to be strong. He's in no condition to see me break down._

The day before, the little bluenette had almost literally broken down when talking to his psychiatrist. Zane had been at his house at the time, straightening out his paperwork and the like, when the hospital called. By the time he had arrived, the doctors were on the verge of physically restraining his brother. Zane had managed to calm him down, but a sedative was still required to make Syrus rest. The strain of the past few days was taking its toll on the both of them. There were dark shadows under Zane's eyes, and he was a little more tense than usual.

--The Rhodes'--

The gang had decided to meet at Atticus and Alexis's before heading over to the funeral, just so they could decide on what they would/wouldn't do and say.

"We are not doing anything embarrassing," Alexis said, eyeing up the guys. "That means _no _fighting. I'm talking to you, Chazz and Jaden. Atticus, do not volunteer to sing. Hassleberry, Bastion…" she thought for a moment. "Just watch what you say."

"Yes, Mom." Atticus looked a little indignant. "We know how to behave, Alexis. Don't go into commando-princess mode today, alright?"

"Poor blokes," Bastion finished checking himself for lint. "I can't imagine what it would feel like, having no parents. But at least now Zane's back from his stint as Hell Kaiser; that should be beneficial to Syrus's health. He was truly miserable when Zane was… indisposed."

"And that's putting it lightly." Jaden added. "Shall we go, then?" Everyone nodded and started towards the driveway. "How are we getting there, again?"

"I don't know," replied Atticus "Zane said he'd arrange for us to get picked up here." The question that was about to spring to everyone's lips was answered when a black, shiny limousine pulled up to the house.

"Whoa!" Chazz spoke for them all.

The driver walked up the front drive to them. "Mr. Truesdale sent me to drive you to the funeral. We should get going; it starts in half an hour." They all proceeded to the limousine and buckled themselves in.

--

The funeral was being held outside, in a designated spot in the cemetery. A large crowd of people wearing dark clothes had already gathered when Zane and Syrus's friends arrived.

"Who are all these people?" Jaden wondered aloud.

"Probably work colleagues, friends, obscure relatives. That kind of thing," explained Bastion.

"You're right Bastion, except for the relatives part. Mom and Dad were both only kids, and we don't have much left in the family department." Syrus, wearing a black suit identical to Zane's, was drawing near, moving slowly. He wasn't in a wheelchair, a pleasant surprise for them all. "Thanks for being here, guys." Syrus started to tear up as they exchanged hugs, and hastily wiped his eyes. "Come on; Zane wants to see you. He's over by the coff…coff…" he couldn't bring himself to say the words aloud. Jaden wrapped a comforting arm around his best friend's shoulders and they started walking.

--

Zane was watching as people began to seat themselves in the folding chairs. _I feel like I'm watching a movie, _he observed, _I feel so detached. What's wrong with me? _He turned to see his friends approaching. Alexis and Atticus skipped the preliminary greetings and went ahead to hug their friend. He didn't stiffen, as he usually would, but hugged back. "Thanks for coming. It means a lot."

"We're here for you guys," Jaden stated, "always."

There was a cough from the minister as he took the stand to begin the ceremony. Zane led all of them to the front row. Once they were all seated, the minister began to speak. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the lives and mourn the passing of two people very close to our hearts…"

--

As the funeral went on, Syrus felt more and more wound up inside. _Any minute now I'm going to jump up and start screaming, _he thought. Jaden, who was on his right, was gripping his hand tightly. _For his sake, or for mine? _He wondered. Zane, on his left, was shaking slightly. _Poor Zane, this must be even worse for him. The last time he spoke to Mom and Dad was a few weeks before the accident. He never said goodbye…_ tears started flowingly down his cheeks, but Syrus made no move to wipe them away. Memories of his parents throughout the years came back to him, and he felt enormously sad and guilty as he recalled instances where he was mad at them, or didn't show his love. _I'll never tell them…not in this life. Why, God? Why did this have to happen?! Was it something I did that made you angry? Please let this be a dream. Please, please, please! _Syrus began to sob and he put his hands over his face, trying to muffle the sound. He could feel Zane, Jaden, Hassleberry, and Bastion (who were able to reach him) touch him comfortingly. Zane put a hand on his back and rubbed it soothingly, although he himself was trying so hard to keep it together.

--

Zane listened to his brother sob. _I have never heard him make such a sound before. _True, the younger Truesdale had often wept, but Zane had never heard his brother cry like this. It was a horrible, keening sound, full of anguish and hopelessness. Just hearing it was tearing him apart, because he could not fix the cause. _I wish I could make it better, Sy, but I can't. _

As the eulogies commenced, he felt his grip on sanity start to slip. _My parents were wonderful people, and they loved me so much, and how did I repay them? By becoming a vicious, uncaring asshole who turned his back on everyone. I should be the one in the coffin, not them. And I never…never… _like his brother, Zane started to cry. _I never got to say that I'm sorry! I never will. I miss you, both of you! I want my parents! _The longing that filled his chest hurt so badly that he could hardly catch his breath to cry.

Seeing this frightened them all a little, because they had almost never seen him truly cry. Atticus hugged his friend and tried to fight back his own tears, with little success. Jaden, Bastion and Hassleberry, who hadn't even known the Truesdales that well, were trying to comfort Syrus. Alexis was tearing a tissue she held in one hand to pieces with her fingers. _They were like my parents! I can't believe that I won't see them again. _She went to wipe her face, but realized the tissue was unusable. Chazz silently gave her another one, and held her hand while she wiped her face. Alexis didn't push him away; rather, she squeezed his hand back.

--

Somehow, they all made it through the funeral, the burial, and saying goodbye to all the guests. Zane had stopped crying, but he looked fifty years older.

"Well," he said softly, "I guess…" he faltered, unsure of what to say. "Again, thanks for coming. I doubt Syrus and I would have made it through this if you hadn't been here."

"That's what friends are for." Atticus touched his shoulder. "Are you sure that you two will be okay by yourselves?"

"We'll be fine." Even while saying this, Zane didn't look 100% sure. "I promise."

"If you feel like you're going to break down in little bits, phone one of us," Jaden said seriously to Syrus. "Don't even worry about it."

"Yeah," Chazz put in "don't wallow in your misery. Let it out." Alexis nodded.

"It's not good to bottle things up. Better to talk about it."

"It's proven to be therapeutic." Was bastion's take on things.

"I don't want to trouble you guys," Syrus said softly, "I'll be okay. So will Zane."

"You and the Lieutenant are tough. But all soldiers need their support team." Hassleberry clapped Syrus on the back.

There was another round of group hugs, and everyone took off in the taxi that had been called for them. Zane and Syrus were left standing alone in front of the cemetery.

"I should take you back to the hospital," Zane spoke up, "they'll be waiting for you." Syrus shook his head vehemently. His brother cocked his head to one side in confusion. "What?"

"I don't want to stay in the hospital tonight. Can you take me home with you? Please? I don't want to be alone there…" Syrus's eyes were welling up again, and he wiped them on his sleeve. "Just for one night. Please, Zane."

Zane hesitated a little. He would love to grant his brother's request, and he didn't particularly feel like staying in a big, empty house alone on the same night his parents were buried. But they could get in trouble for breaking hospital protocol. "I don't know. Maybe it's best if we…"

"What are they going to do, charge you with kidnapping?" Zane's mouth twitched into a small smile, and Syrus's heart leapt to see it. The smile was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. "Just this night, then I'll go back."

"Okay. Let's go home." Zane took his brother by the hand and led him to his car that was waiting in the parking lot.

--

I can't believe I haven't updated for two weeks; I feel so bad. Hopefully, you like this latest instalment. I found it very sad to write, and I think I captured the right mood. Oh, and check out my poll on my profile. I'm *thinking* about writing a new story, and I need some opinions. One final thing: if Zane had wings, what colour would they be? Don't put your answer in the review, just PM me. Thanks a lot.


	11. Going Back

Last time, the gang attended the funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Truesdale. Syrus is going to spend the night with Zane, instead of in the hospital.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX

Warning:

--

It was twilight as Zane began driving home. Syrus was curled up in the passenger's seat, sleepily watching out the window. _One, two, three…_ he counted the passing headlights and yawned. Zane glanced over as if to check that he was okay, and returned his attention to the road. All was going well, but then a horrible sinking feeling came over the younger Truesdale quite unexpectedly.

_What if Zane crashes? What if an animal darts out in front of us? _Syrus began shaking and his body tensed up, preparing for an impact that would probably never come. He hadn't been this scared driving to the funeral, but then, it had been daytime. _Oh my God, oh my God. I think I'm going to throw up.__** Calm down. Zane's a good driver, he won't let anything happen…**_ He tried to fight down the panic, but it came back stronger than before.

_Your parents were good drivers, too. But look at what happened to them. It could happen to anyone…you could be killed in the next few seconds. _He tried to breathe slowly, to force his heart rate down, but that made him feel even more nauseous. "Zane…" he whispered.

Zane looked over, slowing down as he did. "Syrus, what's wrong?" Syrus didn't respond, however. _He took his eyes off the road; we could have been hit. _"Syrus!"

A semi truck was roaring up from the other direction. Syrus closed his eyes and waited for the hit. It didn't happen, and when he opened his eyes, Zane was watching him out of the corner of his eye, looking concerned. "Syrus, talk to me!"

"Please look at the road. I'm okay." He gasped out. "I'm okay."

"You are not okay!" Zane parked at the side of the road, put on his hazard lights, and went around the car to Syrus's side, where his brother sat stiff as a board. "Syrus, I want you to close your eyes and take some deep breaths."

He tried his best to do as Zane said, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw the twin caskets of his parents being lowered into the ground. Syrus burst into tears.

Zane held him until the crying jag passed. "Look at me." He put his hands on both sides of Syrus's face and made him look into his steel- blue eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to us. I _will not _let us crash. Do you understand? What happened to Mom and Dad…" Zane broke off, trying to gather himself, "was a freak accident. A one-in-a-million thing."

"It could happen again, though!" Syrus practically wailed. "You never see it coming."

"Shhhh. I know how scared you are. You have every right to be scared, after the nightmare you've been through. But you cannot let fear rule your life." Syrus wiped his eyes and nodded. "Now, we're at most five minutes away from my house. Can you hold on until we get there, or do you need to sit for a bit longer?"

"I'll be fine. Just be really careful, please." Zane gave him a final hug and went back to the driver's side.

"I will." Syrus remained alert for the entire 4 minutes and 46 seconds that they were on the road. "We're here."

Syrus looked out the window at his brother's house. "It's really…secluded." _And dark, and creepy. But maybe that's because it's night time._

"I like my privacy. It's an escape from the fans." He half-joked, trying to further alleviate the tension. Syrus laughed a little.

--Inside--

Syrus stood in the hallway, looking around. The house was darkened, and there was dust on some of the surfaces. "You don't stay here a lot, do you, Zane?"

"Only when I'm in town. I have to go traveling to tournaments, and so I stay in hotels. But these past few nights I've been staying at the hospital, so I can be close to you."

Syrus felt warm inside. "You didn't have to do that. Thanks."

"I did. I wanted to stay close by in case something happened." Zane led him up the stairs, and showed him to the guest room. "Um…this was the guest room, but now that you're living here, it's yours, unless you'd like one of the other rooms."

"No, this'll be fine." Syrus sat on the bed, and looked around. It was a fairly plain room with a bed, a dresser, and a closet. One window served to shed moonlight into the dark room. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Syrus. If you need me, I'm just to the left, two doors down. I love you." He added the last bit just as he set foot out the door. _From now on, I'm always going to say that. If Syrus dies wondering if I love him, I'll never forgive myself. _

"I love you too, Zane." Syrus pulled off his glasses and set them on the night table. He dug his way under the blankets and rested his head on the pillow. He prayed that he wouldn't have any nightmares. _Goodnight Mom and Dad. I love you. _The stars outside his window twinkled brightly. _They're up there, watching over me. _Syrus had never been so sure of something in his life.

--

The next morning, Syrus woke up feeling a little disorientated. _Where am I? _The sheets felt different, and he didn't recognize the room. _Oh, yeah…this is Zane's place. _He sat up and put on his glasses. The image before his eyes didn't change. _What the...?"_

"Syrus?" Zane poked his head inside the room. "Oh, good. You're up. How did you sleep?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued talking. "I have to head over to the hospital for about half an hour; I managed to talk them into releasing you early, since you're feeling better and your eyes don't seem to be giving you trouble."

Syrus forced a smile onto his face. "Thanks, Zane! That's great." _Oh, no, now I can't tell him, or I'll be sent back to the hospital. Maybe it's just sleep in my eyes. It'll be fine. _"So, can I stay here while you go? I don't really want to see that place again for a bit." He looked at Zane hopefully.

"I don't really want to leave you alone, but…" he pressed his fingers to his head. "I must be crazy, but okay. Don't leave the house; don't touch the stove, the oven, the microwave or the fridge. Stay in the living room, on the couch, and watch some TV."

"Sure thing." Syrus stood up and managed to navigate his way to the couch without giving away any hints that his eyes were less than perfect. "If you're that worried, call Atticus to baby-sit me."

The expression on Zane's face was akin to horror. Syrus had to laugh, but inside, he still felt raw from the previous day. "Oh, right. That sounds like a great idea. I'll see you in an hour." Zane picked up his coat and went out the front door.

--Two hours later--

"Sorry I was gone for so long." Zane came in, holding a stack of papers, a pizza, and a cardboard box. "I decided to pick up lunch and some of your clothes and things from Mom and Dad's house."

Syrus looked up from his place on the couch. His eyes had improved a little, but he still couldn't see totally properly. "Yum. What are the papers?" The two brothers sat down and started munching on the cheesy, pepperoni pizza goodness.

"Business. I'm entering a tournament next month. Different companies are applying to sponsor me, and so I have contracts to sign."

"Right." They were both quiet for a while, not really thinking about anything in particular. "Zane, can I go back to Duel Academy at the end of the week?"

Zane was surprised. "Are you sure you'll be up to it? Your psychiatrist phoned me and she's concerned about the psychological effects the accident is going to have. Can you handle the separation from me so soon?"

Syrus traced a pattern on the couch, thinking about these things. "Well, there are counsellors I could talk to at the Academy, right? And it's not like I'll be totally alone. All of our friends would be there." He put on his best puppy-dog pout.

His brother hesitated. His common sense was telling him to keep Syrus close by for at least two or more weeks, because he was still concerned about the overhanging threat of blindness that only he and Alexis knew about. _But he says that his eyes have been normal, so it couldn't hurt...and it's not good for him to miss school, especially with exams coming up…_

"Fine. You can go back on time with everyone else." Syrus was about to cheer in delight when Zane held up a hand. "There are some stipulations though. You have to see a counsellor three times a week, you are not to take any gym classes, and you can't duel anymore than necessary. I expect you to tell me of **any **change in your eyesight, or any headaches you may have."

"I promise. Thank you, Zane. I'll call you every night to give updates." He hugged his brother.

"I'm sure you will." _He may be ready to head back to DA, but am I ready to let him be so far away? Am I doing the right thing?_

--

That night, when Syrus was safely in bed, Zane picked up the phone and dialled a number by heart. It rang twice before it was picked up.

"Hello?"

"Alexis, it's me. Zane. I need to ask you a favour."

On her end, Alexis sat down on her bed, and shifted the phone to her other ear as she began to paint her toenails. "Um, sure. Do you want Atticus to be in on it too?"

"I'd prefer not. It has to do with a secret that only the two of us know." Alexis put down the polish bottle, glanced around, and lowered her voice.

"About the blindness?"

"Yes." He whispered back. "Syrus is going back to school with the rest of you in a few days, and I need you to tell me if you notice Syrus doing anything strange. Any weird headaches, eye aches, if he's acting oddly. I want to be informed immediately. Can you do that for me, or should I just get one of the teachers to watch him?"

Alexis shook her head, even though they couldn't see each other. "That would be too bizarre. We hang around together at school, so it wouldn't seem too strange."

"Thanks, Alexis. I knew I could trust you." She blushed a little.

"You always can. Night, Zane."

"Goodnight." He hung up, feeling a little bit better about the situation. _You're being paranoid, nothing else could go wrong. _The little voice in his head (that sounded mysteriously like Atticus) told him.

'Bad things happen in threes' had been a saying his mother lived by, and he sincerely hoped that it wasn't true.

--Four days later--

Syrus snapped shut the locks on his suitcase. He had finished repacking all of the things he had brought home for Spring Break. The horror of the past two weeks weighed heavily on his mind. _How can I be slipping back into a normal life so quickly? My parents are dead, and I'm skipping back like nothing happened. Is this normal?_

"Ready to go?" Zane came in the room.

"Everything's packed." Syrus responded, gesturing towards the case with his good arm. "Zane, is there something wrong with me?"

Zane raised an eyebrow, and looked down at him in concern. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I feel like I should be grieving more or something like that. I'm sad, but it's not affecting me so much." The two sat down on Syrus's bed.

"Dr. Salin mentioned this to me. You're just getting over the shock of it. It's part of the grieving process; you move back and forth through anger, denial, sadness, bargaining and acceptance. You're probably just experiencing sadness just now."

"I guess so," Syrus sighed. "I feel like I should be sadder."

"It'll get better in time. You have to live your life, not matter what happens."

"Zane? I'm glad we can do this more comfortably now."

"What more comfortably?" Zane asked in slight confusion.

"Have talks like this. Even before you came Hell Kaiser, I couldn't really talk to you this with this much ease."

"I was trying to make you stronger by isolating you. Stupid technique, I know." Zane looked down a little guiltily. "And anyways, kids who lose parents have a higher suicide rate than the rest of us. I don't want to lose _you_."

"I don't want to lose you either." Syrus stood up and picked up the case. "Let's head out. The ship is leaving in an hour. I don't want to miss it."

The elder Truesdale tugged the case away from him. "Of course you don't. If you did, horror of horrors, you'd have to stay here with me." Syrus detected a bit of teasing in his voice and grinned.

--

"Bye! See you in a few weeks!" Syrus waved to his brother from onboard the ship heading back to Duel Academy, standing with all his friends. Zane raised a hand in return.

"Well, we're off for more fun and adventures!" Jaden announced the obvious. "I wonder what else will happen?"

"Hopefully nothing else," muttered Alexis, glancing over at Syrus. She fully intended to watch him for the slightest change.

--

The End.

**Syrus: Are you serious?! What about my eye problems?**

**Shroud: I say we string her up until she agrees to write another chapter.**

**Zane's Agent: Agreed. We still need to torture Zaney and Syrus more.**

**Zane: Excuse me?**

LunarEclipse31: Chill guys, I was kidding. This is most certainly not the end. R&R!


	12. Rumour Mill

Well, I'm back. Sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been focusing on my other story, not to mention that I've gone back to school. Chemistry was created by the devil, I'm sure of it.

Recap: Syrus has left to go back to Duel Academy, but Zane isn't so sure he should have let him go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX. I will, however, when I win the lottery.

--

"We're back!" Jaden tried to cartwheel down the gangplank, but failed miserably. He crashed headfirst into Chazz, who nearly went into the water. Fortunately (or unfortunately, for Jaden) he regained his balance, and threw a punch at Jaden, who barely dodged it. The latter decided it was time to make a run for it, and ran he did, sprinting backwards so that he could wave goodbye to his other friends.

"SLACKER!" Syrus laughed as he watched the two run off, Chazz swearing revenge.

_Some things never change. _

"I'd better go break it up," Alexis sighed. "I swear those two are never going to grow up. Are you going to be okay, Syrus?"

"I'll be fine, Alexis. Don't worry about me." He tried to smile convincingly. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Bye, then." She picked up her suitcase and went jogging after the distant figures.

He picked up his bags and began walking down the pier, heading towards his dorm. The weather was getting warmer, and a nice breeze was playing with his hair. Students of all dorms and years were walking around, reuniting with friends. The sound of laughter was everywhere.

"Syrus Truesdale, please report to the Chancellor's office." A voice over the loudspeaker announced. He changed direction, heading towards the main building, instead of his dorm.

As he walked through the halls full of students, the laughter and chatter died away. People were staring at him as he went by, muttering to their friends behind their hands; turning away as if it could mask their gossip.

"Did you hear? His parents died during Spring Break." _How did he know?_

"Poor kid. Isn't he Hell Kaiser's brother?" _Well, that's old news. Maybe the rumours aren't that bad._

"I heard that he's mentally unstable now. He's been put on suicide watch." _Ouch._

"No way!" _Tune them out, Syrus. Just don't listen. _He tried his best, but random comments kept slipping through his mental block.

"Yeah, and I've heard that Hell Kaiser is going to send him to a boarding school in Siberia." _Where did that one come from? These tales are taking on a life of their own. _Syrus thought in a slight panic.

"He found out from his lawyer that he was adopted." _I have to get out of here before I throw up. _He was finding it harder and harder to block things out. To Syrus, it seemed as though everyone's voices were melding into one giant chant; a story with all the details; his entire trauma being laid bare for everybody to know.

Syrus could feel the walls pressing in on him as the stares intensified. Some students were edging away from him as he passed, acting like he had a contagious disease. _How did all these people find out? It's the first day back! _He was beginning to hyperventilate, and he put his hand on the wall to steady himself. Everyone watched with some interest. _They probably expect that I'm going to break into tears and murder someone. _

"You okay, Little Blue?" The academy's current heartthrob/resident ukulele-playing surfer put his hand on Syrus's shoulder. "You look pale." Syrus didn't answer; he was busy gasping for air. Atticus must have understood what was going on, for he glared at the crowds around them. "What are you looking at? I'm sure you all have things you should be doing. He needs some air, so get lost!"

Everyone scurried away, somewhat scared by the usually mellow Obelisk's fierce announcement. Syrus slumped against the wall, his breathing slowly returning to normal. "Thanks, Atticus. I freaked out because they were all staring and talking about me. How did the news spread so fast that Mom and Dad…?" his voice trailed off.

"The gossip grapevine. Someone reads about it in the newspaper, phones to tell three of their friends, and the next thing you know, the entire school has found out. But don't let it get to you, 'kay? Pretty soon there'll be something new for them to gossip about, and they'll forget all about you. Trust me on that." The two of them were walking through the halls, towards the Chancellor's office. They stopped outside the door. "I gotta jet now. See you later!" With this, he took off, running backwards so that he could wave goodbye.

"Bye! Thanks!" Syrus returned his wave, feeling a little bit better. He knocked on the heavy oak door.

"Come in," the Chancellor's booming voice announced. Syrus opened the door and slipped inside. "Ah, Syrus." He stood up from his chair and walked over to Syrus, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm very sorry about your parents, Syrus. I knew them personally, and I considered them to be friends. They were good people, and we'll all miss them."

The bluenette looked down. "Thank you. I…I miss them a lot." To Syrus's horror, he started to tear up. He roughly wiped away the tears. "You wanted to see me about something?"

"Yes. Besides offering my condolences, there are a couple of matters that I would like to discuss with you." He walked back to his desk and sat down, motioning for Syrus to take the chair opposite him. The teen sat down, the cool leather creating a pleasant sensation on his hands as he placed them on the armrests. "Firstly, how are your physical injuries?"

"They're okay. My arm is still sore, but my ribs don't hurt that much anymore." Syrus decided not to say anything about his headaches. Perhaps he felt slightly intimidated by the fact that he was talking directly to the Chancellor, or maybe he just didn't want to cause anyone any trouble. Whatever the reason, he stayed mum on that matter.

"I see. It has been arranged that you will not have to take PE until your arm is completely healed, so you will not need to be worried over that." He leaned back in the chair a little and looked at Syrus with a bit of concern. "These past few weeks have been a trauma for you, I'm sure. Losing a parent is never easy, especially if you're still young, and you've lost both at the same time." _As if I need to be reminded. _"I only say this because I'm worried about you. This kind of shock can have lasting negative effects, and I owe it to your parents to watch out for you. If it's alright, I'd like you to talk with the school counsellor until further notice."

Syrus nodded. "I was planning to do that anyway. I have a psychiatrist that I can phone, and Zane is demanding that I check in with him every day." Sheppard smiled at this.

"I've heard that Zane has had a change of heart in the last few weeks. It's good to hear that he's returned to the person we recognize."

_But at what cost? _Syrus couldn't help thinking. _If Mom and Dad were still alive, chances are that Hell Kaiser would still be hanging around. I've lost part of my family, only to gain back another part. I wonder if Zane ever thinks of this. _"Syrus?" The chancellor was watching him with mild concern. "Is something wrong, my boy?"

"No, I was just…thinking. May I leave now?"

"Yes, you must want to go and meet with your friends, and I have taken enough of your time." Sheppard walked ahead of Syrus to open the door for him. "It's good to see that you are totally not incapacitated by grief, Syrus, but remember that you have a right to mourn your parents for as long as you want. Don't let anyone tell you to stop moping around." Syrus left the office, praying that he wouldn't have to run into many students on the way to his dorm room.

--Later on, in the Ra Yellow dorms--

Syrus had finished unpacking his things and was in the midst of reading over some notes from his duel psychology class; the professor had announced that he was holding a quiz during the first week back, so the bluenette decided he was going to be prepared. As a Ra Yellow, he wanted to uphold his academic standing.

He was feeling quite peaceful, amidst the comfortable silence, as he flipped through his papers. _I've got this down pat. Maybe by next year, I'll be an Obelisk! _This thought greatly thrilled him. _Zane would be so proud of me. Mom and Dad would have been too. _As quickly as the elated feeling had surged through him, he was now sad. _Stop it, Syrus. Crying won't bring them back, so suck it up! _He went back to studying fiercely, so into his work that he didn't notice that his phone was ringing.

_BRIIING! _The highly-annoyed sounding phone rang for the umpteenth time. Syrus jumped slightly at the sound before realizing what it was. Diving for the receiver, he scooped it up before the person hung up. "Hello?"

"Syrus, it's Zane." Only then did Syrus remember his promise to call his brother once a day. But then, they had only parted this morning, so did today count? Before he could ponder more on this, his brother was speaking again. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Syrus wound the phone cord around his fingers in an intricate loop. He didn't want to tell Zane about going through the rumour mill; it would only raise his blood pressure. "Just studying. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me. **You're **the one with the head injury." Zane's logic was, as ever, totally impenetrable sounding.

"I do worry about you! How am I supposed to know that you won't get all depressed and go Hell Kaiser on us?"

"I promise I will never get that depressed. If I do, you can sic Atticus and his Magic Bag of Fun on me." On opposite ends of the phone, both brothers sweatdropped at the mere mention of the Magic Bag of Fun. Atticus had invented it back when they were in grade school; it was full of…objects that were supposed to bring hiccups and giggles to all who fell victim to it. Prominent among these…objects were sock puppets, magic tricks, useful guides on dating, storybooks (which Atticus had written himself) and the occasional firecracker. The Magic Bag of Fun had played a large role in the "clown incident".

"Well, I guess we'll never see Hell Kaiser again." Syrus yawned and glanced at the clock. "It's getting kind of late. Do you mind if I go to bed now?"

"I was just going to suggest that. You shouldn't be overtaxing yourself, you know, or you'll end up straight back in the hospital." Zane stopped and thought about how he sounded. "Sorry. I guess I lecture a little too much."

"I don't mind, really. You don't do it as much anymore, and besides, it just means that you care. Goodnight bro." Syrus switched off his light and settled himself in between the sheets. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Goodnight kid." Syrus pressed the 'End' button on his phone and let it drop to the floor.

--Back in Domino--

Zane was sitting in his favourite chair, holding the phone loosely in one hand. He stared into the gas fireplace. _He sounded okay, but who can tell just by the voice? Maybe I'm worrying too much. Sheppard won't let anything happen to Syrus, and Alexis is reporting to me. Even if something does happen, _Zane unconsciously touched the wooden coffee table; _he'll get sent right back here. _

He stood and walked into the kitchen, leaving the phone in the seat of the chair he had just been occupying. The former Obelisk was peering into the fridge, looking for his vanilla bean yogurt, when the phone rang.

_WHAM! _

Surprised by the phone, he started upwards and whacked his head on the top of the fridge. Cursing under his breath, he ran to the living room to answer it, tripping over the coffee table in his haste. "Ahhhhh!" He grabbed his bruised knee and hopped around on one leg for a moment, then snatched up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Zane, honey? It's me, your agent." _Of course. I smack my head and almost break my knee for my annoying employee. _"I just wanted to tell you that I'm moving to London, and so, I have to quit my job. Sorry. I know that you'll miss me, but that's life, I suppose. Consider this my two weeks notice. It's been a blast!" She hung up before he could say a word.

_Wow. I think a miracle just happened. _It dawned on Zane that he would never have to hear her fangirl-esque voice again. _Alright, no more agent! Now maybe I can pick someone who's not so infuriating and has just a little common sense. _He sat back in his chair, basking in his newfound freedom. The pain in his head and knee didn't seem to even matter anymore.

--

"Heh heh. Now that I've caught him off guard, we can begin our plan." Zane's now ex-agent smiled at Shroud, who was standing in the corner, watching.

"Excellent."

--Back at Duel Academy--

Syrus had woken up bright and early so that he could be one of the first in the classroom. Not because he wanted to be a goody-two shoes, but because he wanted to avoid all the stares he kept getting in the hallway.

He arrived before Doctor Crowler himself did, which was fine with him. Spreading out his binder, he prepared himself for Crowler's class, which would almost certainly include lots of note-taking.

The doctor walked in the door, and began to arrange things at his desk. Spying Syrus, he made a motion for him to come down.

_Great. I probably forgot to hand in a piece of homework before break and now he's going to stick me in detention. _However, what Crowler did was the opposite of what he happened.

Dr. Crowler put his hands on Syrus's shoulders and squeezed them. "I'm very sorry about your parents, Syrus. When I heard, I…" he had to stop; wiping his eyes. "I can only imagine what you and your brother have gone through."

"T-thank you, Dr. Crowler." Syrus was shocked. Crowler was actually displaying a kind side, a side that was usually reserved for the top-ranked Obelisks.

"It's no trouble at all. It takes a very strong person to participate in a normal life after a tragedy such as this. In fact, I admire that trait. Your brother had it, and apparently, so do you."

"Oh, I…" Syrus didn't know what to say. He had fully expected a lecture of some kind, but instead, he was being praised!

"If you need to talk to someone, dear boy, you can always talk to me. I just wanted you to know that." Dr. Crowler patted him on the head and blew his nose loudly, on a piece of lacy tissue.

"I'll do that. Thanks again." The doctor waved him back to his seat, too overcome to continue. Syrus practically skipped back to his seat. _He really is nice, under all that strictness. _

With this revelation, he could almost ignore the stares of his classmates.

_­_--

And that's all for now. Once again, I apologize for the irregularity of my updating.

So, Dr. Crowler has shown his rarely seen nicer side, and Syrus has survived the school gossip. But Zane's agent and Shroud have made their appearance. How will this all play out? Read on!

Atticus: R&R please! Or I'll come get you with my Magic Bag of Fun!

Zane, Alexis, and Syrus: Please review. If you don't, things could get ugly…


	13. The Darkness Shows Its Face

I'm back! Did you miss me? Didn't think so :P.

Disclaimer: Do they make us put these things in to make us feel bad that we own nothing?

Warning: Swearing, an odd dream involving sugary cereal

Enjoy!

--

_Ring! Ring!_

Zane jolted out of a sound sleep, wincing at the brightness of the sun. _Apparently, it's morning…_ he picked up the phone and yawned into it by accident before answering.

"…Hello?"

"Zane? It's Dr. Salin. I was just calling regarding your appointment with me today…" the elder Truesdale blinked in surprise. _What appointment? I never made one, and I really doubt that I would forget about something like that._

"Not to be rude, Doctor, but I never made an appointment with you. You must have me confused with someone else." When she spoke next, she sounded just as confused as he.

"Is that right? Well, Syrus phoned me the day before he went back to school and told me that you wanted him to make a meeting to talk to me on your behalf. So I booked you for today. Maybe the wires got crossed somewhere…"

_That little monster. He went behind my back. If he was here right now, he'd be in so much trouble. _Zane growled under his breath. "Dr. Salin, I believe that Syrus tricked us both. I never intended to arrange any sort of meeting."

She began to laugh. "No problem. I had younger siblings myself, and I know how sneaky they can be. But as long as I have you booked for today, why don't you come to my office and we can have a chat?" This was not going as Zane had planned. Despite being back to normal, he didn't like the concept of discussing his problems to a virtual stranger.

"Er…well…" Why couldn't he just say no?!

"It's a date, then. I'll see you at eleven o'clock sharp at my office." She gave him the address and hung up the phone with a cheerful goodbye.

Zane stared in disbelief at the phone. _Great, now I'm going to a shrink. Good thing my agent quit or this would be all over the papers…_

--

Syrus was walking out of the counsellor's office, as he had just had his first weekly 'chat' with her. They hadn't said much to each other, just gone over his feelings towards Zane and his parents. It actually irked him a little, because he didn't feel like he _needed _to talk these things over. _Maybe I can beg Zane to let me stop seeing her after another week or two. Argh, no, that won't work…he'd probably use it as an excuse to get me sent home. _

The bluenette was so preoccupied that he didn't look up when he was rounding the corner, and so he collided head-on with Alexis.

"Oops, sorry Alexis. I guess I should have been watching where I was going, heh heh." His face flushed red, and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, then proceeded to pick up the rest of the books she had dropped.

"No problem. You must have a lot on your mind right now," she ventured, as they set off down the hall. "How's your head been feeling?" Alexis queried. _Now's my chance to gather some info for Zane. _

"Um, about the same." Actually, Syrus had had a headache during his morning classes. It had started off small, then built to such a degree that he could barely see straight. "Thanks for asking. It-it's nice that you feel concerned."

"You're like my brother, Syrus. I care about you." She touched his shoulder gently, and they smiled at each other. "Well, I have to run off to gym class. Hope you keep feeling good."

"Sure thing. Bye!" He waved at her as she jogged off down the hall. _I feel bad for lying to her, but I want things to go back to normal. _He continued walking towards the library. _I mean, it's not as if the headaches mean anything, right? Maybe it's a side effect of coming back to school and studying hard. _Even in his head, Syrus didn't make a very convincing argument.

--

"It's good to see you, Zane. How are you?"

"Er…fine." The aforementioned Pro Duelist was sitting in the office of his brother's psychiatrist, sitting somewhat rigidly in a bright purple beanbag chair, looking extremely uncomfortable. Dr. Salin smiled a bit apologetically from her seat on a stereotypical shrink couch.

"Sorry about our seating arrangements. I just moved into this office and my furniture hasn't been brought over yet."

"It's no trouble. I'm used to…um…odd situations." Zane still vividly remembered his time as a doll, which hadn't exactly been a picnic. Nor had the Underground matches. Compared to those events, this was a walk in the park. "Anyway, what do you want to talk about?"

She laughed. "Most of the time, I'm the one asking that! It's nice to converse to someone so willing."

Zane flushed a little, remembering his reaction to the idea of talking to a psychiatrist. "Yeah. Well, I suppose you know that I let Syrus go back to Duel Academy."

Dr. Salin nodded. "I've heard," she set down her clipboard and leaned back, watching him. "From your body language, Zane, I'm going to assume that you don't think it was a good decision."

He looked surprised, and a little shamefaced. "He said he was ready, and I didn't want to…I don't know. It's stupid, he'll be okay."

"You didn't want to be the bad guy again. Zane, your reaction was perfectly normal. And that's good. It shows you're concerned, and I'd rather see that than a blatant show of ignorance." She was sounding more impassioned by the minute, but broke off, smiling a little. "Sorry. You didn't come here to hear me rant."

"It's okay. I don't really have much I want to talk about, besides Syrus."

She scrutinized him closely. "Actually, Zane. I was hoping that we could talk about you, not your brother."

"Me?" Zane raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

She sighed. "Well, this whole ordeal must be very hard on you. You now have to care for your younger brother while managing a career, and running a household. It's a lot of stress for one person."

He looked down. "Yeah. It is hard sometimes, but I have to get through it. For Syrus. Without some stability, he'd fall to pieces." To his horror, he felt tears in his eyes.

"You feel responsibility because you're older." She handed him a tissue as though it was common place to see an adult crying in her office. It probably was, now that he thought about it.

"Yes. And I feel like I owe him, as well." He looked into her face, his eyes darkened. "Have you heard about me being the Hell Kaiser?"

"And that makes you feel guilty, because you hurt him and everyone else."

"Exactly. I never said I was sorry to Mom and Dad; so now I have to make up for being such an ass to everyone else. I still feel badly about it."

Dr. Salin nodded. "Zane, I know why you feel like you do, and it's normal. But you can't let those feelings rule your life. You did a bad thing, and you've paid for it enough. It's time to leave your past where it belongs." She glanced at her watch. "I'm sorry to kick you out so soon, but I have some other business to attend to."

"It doesn't matter." Zane stood and shook her hand. "I'll keep in mind what you told me."

"Good."

Zane drove home with the window open, letting the warm air whip his hair around. _I'm going to call Syrus when I get home and ask him how he is. With any luck, he'll be okay…_

--

Zane was on the verge of picking up the phone to call his brother when the doorbell stopped him. Annoyed, he slammed down the receiver. _Why can't I just get some time to myself for once today?! This had better be good…_he thought ominously as he strode to the door.

Just before he touched it, Zane inadvertently remembered the last time a stranger had come to his door. _I can't help but hope that this isn't more bad news…_steeling himself, he took hold of the knob and turned it. _You are being silly. Nothing else can go wrong. Can it? _

"Can I help you?" He looked down at a woman wearing a dark blue suit and a somewhat frosty expression.

"Yes. That is, if you are Zane Truesdale." Her expression set him on edge.

"I am. Won't you come in?" Zane curtly answered and widened the doorway to admit her. She walked in as if she owned the place, irking him further, as did the way she looked around, like she suspected to see torture devices on his walls.

"I'll skip right to the point," she said, as they sat down in the living room. Again, Zane was reminded of the police officer who had sat in the same chair. _Stop it! _He tersely ordered himself. "You just obtained custody of your younger brother, correct?"

"Yes. What does that have to do with your presence in my home?" His answer apparently displeased her in some way, for her frosty expression became even colder.

"Mr. Truesdale, I am a social worker in the employ of Domino City. My department was contacted by a source who hinted that you may be a less-than-able guardian for your brother. I came to get your side of the story."

Of all things, Zane had never expected this. At first, he was stunned, and then he grew, understandably, quite angry. _Who dares insinuate that I'm not able to care for Syrus?! _"Look, I don't know where your 'source' got their information, but they are wrong. I love my brother very much, and I am fully capable of taking care of him." she nodded doubtfully, one eyebrow cocked.

"That's all you have to say for yourself?" The social worker obviously didn't set much store by what he was saying.

"It is," Zane could barely keep his temper. "I don't mean to be rude, but as you've heard 'my side', I'd like you to leave." She rose and extended a hand holding a card.

"Here's my card," he took it, not bothering to read it. "This meeting, obviously, does not dispel the information my offices were given." Zane was practically marching her to the door.

"In other words, this isn't over. I get it," he yanked open the door and showed her out. "By the way, may I know who exactly your 'source' is?"

She shot him a cold smile. "I'm afraid our sources must stay anonymous until we can get this…apparent misunderstanding sorted out." She got into her car and drove off, leaving Zane with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

--

Syrus curled up on the middle bunk that was traditionally his, even though he now slept in Ra Yellow most of the time. Jaden had asked him to sleep over, because he had made up a few new strategies and wanted to run them by Syrus. They had done so already, and were killing time before bed.

"Jay, what are you doing?" He watched incredulously as Jaden made motions that suggested he was drawing cards from an invisible duel disk. Happy to get his mind off the headaches that had been plaguing him throughout the classes of the day, Syrus slid out of the bed and landed beside his best friend.

"I'm practising duelling, of course!" The brunette announced this with a grin. "Atticus told me it builds up muscle, too." A light seemed to click on over his head. "Hey, that must be why I saw Chazz doing them! Sometimes the guy reminds me of a twig." This statement made Syrus wonder if his friend's brain was turned up higher in the evening. _Sometimes, Jaden acts dumber than a sack of turnips, but other times he acts so un-Jaden that I wonder if he has a dual personality…_ his eye twitched just thinking about this. One Jaden was plenty, thank you very much.

Jaden let loose a yawn that almost sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Since it was a Slifer room, there wasn't a lot of space (and so, little oxygen), but it was still impressive. "Let's go to bed now. I need to be fresh for my duel tomorrow."

"What duel?" The news that Jaden was duelling the next day surprised Syrus.

"I dunno. But I might end up duelling tomorrow so it never hurts to be prepared." He leapt into his bunk. "Night, Sy."

Syrus just shook his head at his friend's logic. _If only he prepared himself for tests like that…_ "Goodnight, Jay." He removed his glasses and pulled the blankets up to his chin. A thought struck him as he was falling asleep. _I never called Zane. Oh, well, I'll do it first thing tomorrow. He'll understand…at least, I hope he will. Night, big bro. _He added the last bit on a whim. Even if Zane couldn't hear him, it made him feel better to say that.

--About three hours later--

The wind outside the dorm was a gentle breeze, but like events about to occur, the element turned foul. The gentle breeze became a howling tempest, disturbing the cool darkness of the night air.

Syrus woke up panting as an excruciating headache took over. It was the worst one he had had so far, and that was saying a lot. The feeling was akin to someone pounding red-hot nails into his head and eyeballs. He couldn't even sit up for the pain.

Not wanting to wake up Jaden, Syrus pressed his lips together to keep in the screams of pain. _Ahhhh! What's wrong with me?! Please, God, make it stop! Please! _He pressed his forehead to the cool pillow, trying to relieve the pain, but it didn't help. For all his best efforts, mewls of pain escaped his clamped lips.

"…uh…Syrus? Somethin' the matter?" Jaden raised his head slightly off his pillow, not really awake, but not totally asleep.

"It's…it's…ahhh…" Syrus couldn't even make himself say it was nothing. He couldn't talk for the pain.

"Sy?!" Jaden pulled himself up to Syrus's bunk and grabbed his shoulder. "What's wrong? Is it your head?"

"Y-yes…it's a…headache," A tiny bit of the pain ebbed away as Syrus sucked in air as quickly as his lungs would allow. "It…hurts, Jaden. So bad."

Jaden grabbed his friend's hand and briefly squeezed it tightly, trying to convey his strength to Syrus. "Hang in there, Sy, I'm phoning the nurse."

Jumping down from the bunk and grabbing his PDA, Jaden flipped it open and began hunting through the directory, fighting down his feelings of panic. _Stay calm; you need to keep a clear head if you want to help. _He was about to dial the number, but a hand clamped onto his wrist.

"Don't," Syrus ground the word out from in between his clenched teeth. "I'm fine."

"You are not fine! Two seconds ago you couldn't even speak. I'm calling her." Syrus's headache was beginning to fade, but he still felt dizzy. Even so, the bluenette was determined not to cause anyone more trouble. _I keep messing up people's lives. Well, no more. I can deal with this; it's just pain, and it's leaving._

"Seriously, Jaden. I'm okay now…see?" Syrus stood up straight and gave his friend a small smile, trying not to wince at the stabbing sensation that flew through his eyes. "The headache's pretty much gone." It was the truth; the pain had pretty much melted away in the last few seconds. _That was really, weird, but it's good if the pain doesn't stay long, right?_

Jaden narrowed his eyes, contemplating this. _Okay, that's just creepy. He looks like Zane when he does that._ "Well…that sounded really bad. Maybe you should go see her, just to be safe…"

"I will! First thing tomorrow! Just don't call her out in the middle of the night; she'll be really annoyed, and there's nothing wrong." Somewhere inside his head, Syrus could hear Zane scolding him.

_You are so irresponsible! You promised me that you'd play it safe, Syrus, and what are you doing? Breaking your word. If I was there right now, I'd drag you straight home!_

"If you really think you're okay now…" his best friend eyed him. "I guess we can let it slide for tonight. But I worry about you, Syrus. What if something's actually wrong?"

"If there is something wrong with me, the nurse will catch it tomorrow. Let's go back to sleep now." With that, Syrus crawled back under his sheets and closed his eyes. "Thanks for being concerned about me."

"You're my best friend in the world. Of course I worry about you. Goodnight, Sy."

"Night."

--Inside Syrus's dream--

_Syrus was sitting in his bed at home (his parents' home, not Zane's), eating a bowl of Fruit Loops __**(1)**__ while looking out the window at the bright, sunny day. His smile turned into a small frown as dark clouds rolled in, completely smothering all the colour that had previously been there._

"_Syrus?" Zane came in the door, holding a duel disk and a box of cereal. "Do you want some more Fruit Loops?"_

"_No, I have lots."_

"_What are you talking about? No, you don't; take a look at the bowl."_

_Syrus looked down to see an empty bowl. "What happened to them? I haven't eaten in days!" _

"_I ate them!" Atticus bounced through, wearing a blue tuxedo, and leapt through a mirror. For some reason, this made total sense to Syrus._

"_Are you doing anything right now?" Zane sat next to him, setting the duel disk between them. The box of cereal had mysteriously vanished, no doubt swiped by the dream Atticus._

"_Are we going to duel?" Normally, the prospect of duelling his brother would have made Syrus quake in nervousness, but he felt very calm. His brother shook his head, a neutral expression on his face. _

"_You can't duel. See?" He held the deck out to Syrus, who took it and shuffled through the cards. Every card was pitch black, with no indication of what cards they had been. _

"_What's wrong with them?! Why can't I see my cards?" Zane didn't answer, but looked at the floor. Syrus followed his gaze, and couldn't hold back a gasp of shock. The entire room had dissolved into shadow around them. "Zane? Big brother, what's happening?"_

"_Don't be scared," Zane was smiling at him now, but his tall, lean body and handsome features seemed to be turning transparent right in front of Syrus. "I'll still be here."_

"_Where is everything?!" Syrus turned in all directions, but everything, including his brother, was gone. He was alone in the blackness. "HELP!"_

--End dream--

Syrus sat up so quickly that he whacked his head on the top bunk. "Ow!" Turning his head this way and that, he determined that it was the middle of the night, since everything was dark beyond belief. His ears detected the sounds of Jaden moving around in the open space beside their beds. "Jaden, what are you doing up? It's the middle of the night!"

"Uh…no, it's not, Sy. It's 9 in the morning. Do you have sleep in your eyes or something?"

This statement made Syrus pause, an odd feeling coming over him. "What time is it?"

"9 AM. It's a beautiful day; no clouds, the sun is shining brightly…"

_Oh, no. No, no, no. This isn't real, it's not my life. _"Jaden…I…I can't see anything but black."

"Excuse me?" Jaden's voice was right next to Syrus's ear. "What are you saying?!"

"I think," Syrus swallowed. "I think…I'm b-b-blind, Jaden." His heart was pounding, and there was a lump in his throat, preventing him from talking properly. "It's a-all black."

"No! You're not! You can't be!" Air was fanned into the bluenette's sweaty face as Jaden presumably waved his hand in front of it. "Can you see my hand?"

"No. Please…" Syrus's voice faltered. "Call…" he swallowed back the tears that were threatening to choke him.

"Call the nurse? I'm on it! Don't move a muscle!" Jaden cursed himself for not calling last night. _Could I have prevented this if we'd just told her about the headache earlier? If we could've, I'll never forgive myself! _"Syrus needs help! He can't see!" Jaden shouted at the unfortunate person on the other end. "Send an ambulance to the Slifer dorm. Something's really wrong!"

"…my brother." Syrus whispered, then fell into a dead faint. Jaden, too busy yelling at the nurse to come quickly, didn't hear his last words.

--Back on the mainland--

Zane pulled on a blue t-shirt and went into the kitchen, intending to create some new strategies for his upcoming duels. However, even as he sat at the kitchen table and carefully laid out his cards, he couldn't fill his head with effects, attack and defense points, and tactics as he usually could. His mind wouldn't allow itself to be completely wrapped up in Duel Monsters.

_Something feels off about this morning, _he thought. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something, somewhere, was very, very wrong. _I sense a disturbance in the Force. _Zane realized what he had just thought, and laughed at himself. "I've been watching too much TV," he addressed his Cyber Dragons. "Now I'm talking to my cards! What's wrong with m―"

Then, for reasons he would never be able to explain, the bluenette put the cards he had been holding down on the table, abruptly crossed the kitchen and picked up the phone from its base, although it wasn't ringing. As he stared at it, the phone began to ring. _How did I know that was going to happen?_

Tapping the talk button, he wedged it between his shoulder and his ear so that he could take some dishes out of the washer and put them away while he talked. "Yes?"

_CRASH!_

The person on the other end had the opportunity to relay the first part of their message, which was more than enough to shock Zane. He dropped a frying pan, and stared at the wall in a mixture of disbelief and horror.

"What?!"

--

**1. **I stuck the Fruit Loops in Syrus's dream to lighten the mood a little before the big climax, and because I was eating Fruit Loops while writing it.

My longest chapter yet! Almost 3700 words. No wonder it took two weeks to write ^^.

So after many chapters its all come down to this. What's going to happen next? Keep reading! R&R.


	14. The Other Eye Wall

Wow, I haven't updated in a while. But better late than never, I always say! Sorry to make you wait :(

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO GX :(

Enjoy!

--

_What will happen to me? What am I going to do? _

Syrus remained curled in fetal position on a bed in the infirmary. Fear stronger than anything he had ever experienced was coursing through his body. The blackness that covered his vision seemed to be pressing down more every second, trapping him within his own body.

The school nurse had been unable to do anything for him, except keep him 'safe' until he could be returned back to the hospital. Safe. That was a laugh; what else could go wrong?

_I hate that place; it's just too impersonal and frightening. Just like Zane used to be. _Thinking about his brother made Syrus's gut clench. _He is going to be so angry. I hid the headaches and now I'm…I'm… _he couldn't make himself think it. Zane would kill him if he ever found out the truth. And yet, more than anything else, Syrus just wanted to see his brother.

"Syrus? Sweetie, you should try and rest a little." The nurse came into the small room where he was curled up. "Once you get back to the hospital, the doctors will have lots of tests they'll need to run. Save your strength." Syrus rolled over on his side and didn't speak. He was being consumed by the ever-growing terror that lurked within his brain.

_I will never be normal. I'll be disabled and everyone will look down on me for the rest of my life! I can't stand this. I should end my pathetic excuse for a life right now. It'll be doing everyone a favour; no more looking after the loser younger brother for Zane, and my friends won't have to stand up for me all the time._

Shaking now, the young Truesdale wound his clammy hands around his sheets. _But I can't. Doing that would leave Zane all alone, and that might drive him back into the Underground. It might be the death of him the second time around._

Another malevolent thought swirled its way around his mind._ What happens if I never regain my sight? How can I be a duelist when I am blind?_

--

"I want to go! He's my best friend, and I'm not going to leave him alone!" Jaden was defiantly staring down both the Chancellor and Dr. Crowler. "Come on!"

"Jaden, we realize that. But a storm is coming in and I don't want to risk any of my students' lives. Syrus will have the best care possible on his way over, and Zane is waiting on the mainland."

Syrus was currently in the infirmary, awaiting the medevac helicopter that would take him back to the mainland. Unfortunately, storm clouds were rolling in, making the window for transport very slim.

"He needs ―" Dr. Crowler abruptly cut him off.

"Mr. Yuki! We know you're concerned about your friend, but that is quite enough. You heard the Chancellor; it is dangerous." Jaden looked ready to explode.

"Jaden, maybe you should listen…" Alexis put a hand on his arm. "Syrus wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger."

"Quite right." Bastion put in. "Syrus didn't like to cause anyone trouble."

"What's with the past tense? Why are we talking about him like he's comatose?!" Chazz interjected angrily. "Just ask Syrus what he wants!" Everyone stared at him. Chazz and Syrus had never been the best of friends, so it was odd to hear him say such a thing. Chazz went a bit pink after his declaration, knowing what they were thinking.

"You and Private Truesdale don't usually get on too well," Hassleberry looked Chazz in the eye. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"

"What, I'm not allowed to tease him, and I'm not allowed to show that I might care either?" The two would have come to blows if Atticus hadn't shoved his way between them.

"You know what? You are all acting like little kids! Chazz, Hassleberry, Bastion, you guys can it!" he started, whipping around to face them, "I know things are bad right now, but we don't need to be sniping at each other. And Jaden, you are staying here."

Jaden glared at him. "I am not."

"You are. Because I'm going to go instead." This statement made everyone in the room burst into a cacophony of protests.

"Stop yelling!" Chancellor Sheppard tried to make himself heard over the yelling by yelling, which kind of defeated his intentions.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!!"

Syrus appeared in the doorway of the room, one hand on the frame to steady himself. His blind silver eyes swept the scene. His light blue pajamas served to make him seem smaller than usual.

"I don't want you to fight anymore." He whispered. Tears formed in his eyes. "Please."

Jaden bounded over and tried to tug him back to his bed. "We won't. Come on, Sy, you need to take it easy."

"I can't take it easy when you guys are yelling at each other! Nobody is coming with me; I'll be fine on my own." Syrus glared at the wall that Atticus was leaning against. No one dared laugh, though.

"We can't let you go on your own. I don't mean to sound callous, but the school is responsible for your welfare, and we could get in plenty of trouble if something happened to you." Sheppard looked a little uneasy. "Not to mention that Zane wouldn't be too pleased…"

Syrus hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was antagonize his brother, especially since he might find out that the younger Truesdale had lied about how his medical condition…

"Logically, I'm the only one who can go," Atticus started. "I'm the only one done all my exams, and I have the unique ability to make Zane listen to me." Everyone nodded. He was correct on that point. (Hey, miracles do happen, right?)

"Very well, Mr. Rhodes," Chancellor Sheppard nodded. "But bear in mind that you are going on a very serious matter. You are not to run off and do your own thing."

"Of course, Chancellor. When have I ever done that?" Alexis just stared at her brother in disbelief.

"Atticus, you amaze me sometimes. You really do."

"Ahem. The helicopter is here." The nurse appeared in the doorway. "I hate to break up the discussion, but Syrus and anyone going with him have to go _now_."

"Let's go then." Atticus snapped to attention. "Come on, Little Blue." He promptly made for the door. Before he could drag Syrus off single-handedly, though, Jaden ran forward and gave his friend a hug. Everyone else followed suit, excluding Dr. Crowler and Chancellor Sheppard.

"Stay strong, buddy." Jaden squeezed his shoulders. "The doctors will fix you and you'll be back here soon."

"I wish I had your confidence, Jaden." Syrus whispered. "What if they can't fix me?"

"They will," Alexis wiped a tear from her eye. "Take care, Syrus. And Atty, keep an eye on Zane. He'll need some help too." Chazz patted her shoulder awkwardly, earning him a thumbs-up from Atticus.

"Get well soon, shrimp. Teasing dino-boy isn't as fun as getting your goat. Ouch!" Hassleberry had whacked Chazz over the head.

"The Private doesn't need to hear that, you know!"

Syrus laughed out loud, the first time he had done so since finding out he was blind. "Try not to kill each other when I'm gone, guys. I'll try and get better as fast as I can."

Chazz looked a little abashed. "You know I didn't mean that, right, Syrus?"

"Thanks, Chazz. I know." Syrus turned to face them all. "Goodbye, everyone. Thanks a lot." He blinked quickly and sniffed. "I don't know what I'd do without you." The whole room might have turned into a swimming pool if the nurse hadn't intervened and sent Syrus and Atticus to the helicopter as quickly as she could.

"Once again, I hate to break this touching moment up, but the helicopter has to leave right now, before this wind gets worse!"

--

The two students fought their way through the cutting wind and rain that soaked them to the skin. Atticus kept an iron grip on Syrus's arm so that he wouldn't lose balance. "Are we there yet?!" Syrus had to yell to be heard over the howling tempest. The trees snapped back and forth as they were buffeted by the wind. Wet leaves coated their path and made them slip.

"Almost!" Now, Atticus was usually a very cheerful ball of sugary sunshine. It took a lot to make him worry. Right now, he was worried. With the intensity of the storm, could the helicopter even get up into the air steadily? _Even if we can lift off, it's going to be one hell of a dangerous flight. _The two reached the pier and the pilot slid the door open, yelling instructions.

"Get in and strap yourselves down! I just need to get clearance before we can take off!" As the pilot chattered indiscernible phrases into the radio, the on-board nurse settled Syrus onto a cot near the opposite wall. Atticus sat in a seat and busied himself with buckling his chest harness.

_You know, normally I'd take the opportunity to flirt with her, but not while she's trying to save Syrus. _Maybe that was a bit of an overstatement, because she was doing nothing more than trying to keep him calm as the helicopter took off. The brunette was having a hard time keeping calm himself, as raindrops that sounded like bullets splattered against the machine and it rocked back and forth as it flew.

He gulped. _If we live through this flight, I'll…give up surfing for an entire month. Yeah, that should seal the deal._

--

Zane flipped through the channels with growing speed.

Cooking.

Health.

Fashion.

He was sitting in a private waiting room in the hospital, awaiting the medevac helicopter that carried his brother.

Realitygameshoweducational.

Zane couldn't believe what was happening. _Just when I thought the worst was over, in reality we were just sitting in the eye. We just got hit by the other wall of the storm. _Poor Syrus. That kid had had so much to deal with already.

_Where are they? _The tag end of the report on the weather channel. Zane flicked his eyes across the scene without really taking it in, until he heard the words 'Duel Academy'. _Wait, what? _

"**Reports show that the island of Duel Academy is experiencing a mild tropical storm. High winds and plenty of rain are hitting the island as I give this report. This weather has not been unexpected, as it is spring. However, any pilots out there are advised not to go near the area. Now, on to Chuckie with sports…"**

"No!" Zane stood up, the remote going clattering to the floor. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed the number of his former teacher.

_Answer…answer…_

"Your call could not be completed as dialed. Please wait a few minutes and try again." Zane swore and shoved the phone back into his pocket, trying to think of a new plan of action.

"Zane? I just came by to tell you that I've called in a few favours, so my college friend Red will be the one overseeing your brother's care…" Dr. Salin stopped at the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"The helicopter; has it arrived yet?!" He demanded. She took a step back, and then shook her head.

"No. But Zane, I don't want you to worry. Those machines are made to withstand the most grueling conditions. They may just fall behind schedule slightly…"

Zane glared at her. "My brother is blind, and is flying in the middle of a storm, and you're telling me not to worry? How can I not worry?!"

Dr. Salin stepped forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Zane, listen to me very carefully. Your. Brother. Will. Be. Fine." She punctuated each word by giving him a little shake. "This is no time to be getting hysterical."

The bluenette appeared to deflate right before her eyes. "But what if?" He whispered. "If something happens to him, I'll have failed."

"Failed?"

"I promised my parents that I would take care of him." Zane sat back in the chair.

"Oh, Zane. I understand that you feel a sense of responsibility, but as I have told you before, you cannot let it control you." She sat beside him. From her psychological training, she knew that keeping Zane talking on one subject would keep his mind off of Syrus's current situation.

"I just don't want anyone to insinuate that I don't care enough about my brother."

Her brow furrowed. "Nobody said that." Zane wove his fingers together, clearly troubled.

"Well, you see…" he told Dr. Salin all about the visit from the social worker, and the anonymous complaint that her office had received. At the end, she looked just as troubled as he.

"I can't say that that isn't strange, but as long as…" she was interrupted by her pager. "Hang on." She read the message, her face brightening. "Zane, your brother's helicopter just arrived. He'll be coming through the lobby in five minutes." Dr. Salin barely finished her sentence before Zane was up and out the door.

_--_

"Oh, thank God!"

Zane rushed across the lobby and threw his arms around Syrus, nearly crushing his younger sibling. Atticus made no move to separate the two; rather, he stood to the side and waved off doctors who had come up to receive Syrus.

Syrus squeaked as the oxygen was squashed out of his lungs. "Wha…" he was just about to demand who was trying to kill him when a familiar scent hit his nose. It was the cologne that his brother had been favouring for almost three years, even during his stint as Hell Kaiser. Syrus was as used to it as he was the smell of salt water that permeated his school's air. "Zane!"

"Are you alright?!" The question was absolutely absurd, but Zane could think of nothing else to say.

"I…I'm o-okay." Syrus was weeping now, his tears soaking his elder brother's shirt. "The h-helicopter ride wasn't the b-best, though…" Zane laughed shakily.

"I was so scared. I saw the news about the weather, and I assumed the worst." He wiped the tears from his brother's face.

"Oh, Zane. I was s-scared this morning. I w-woke up, and I…I…I couldn't s-s-see…" Syrus was bawling now, feeling slightly ashamed, but also relieved.

"Shhhh. You'll be fine." Zane stroked his hair, feeling that this was an inadequate gesture, but it did calm his brother down some.

"He's right, Syrus. You'll be great in a few weeks," Atticus cut in before Zane started to melt. "Now, we're both really wet and I'd like to change before I start to mold. Besides, these lovely ladies," he winked at the nurses standing by, some of whom blushed, "are here to help your brother, so let's not make them wait." Zane rolled his eyes, and then nodded.

"How are your eyes?" he whispered to Syrus, as they slowly made their way away from the doors.

Syrus instantly clammed up. "They don't hurt anymore. But they don't work either." He said after a pause. Zane gave a strange little smile.

"You seem very calm about the whole thing."

"I freaked out earlier today."

"Hmm. After the nurses get you admitted, I want to have a talk with you about this. About everything." Giving him a brief hug, Zane sent him off with a nurse. Or a doctor. The younger couldn't tell.

Feelings of trepidation rose in Syrus's body as the nurses led him to his room. Not for the first time, he wondered if Zane could read his mind just by looking at his face. "Ow!" The bluenette stubbed his toe on a corner.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." Syrus ground out through his clenched teeth. He had the feeling that he was going to be asked that question quite a bit in the next while.

--

"I didn't expect you to come, Atticus." Zane and his best friend were walking slowly down the hallway, towards the pediatric ward.

"Well, I don't think the Chancellor and Crowler were too keen on anyone going, because of the weather, but I changed their minds. Besides, I couldn't just let him go on his own."

"I'm grateful for that." Zane stopped dead in the hallway. "But, Atticus, you shouldn't have come." The latter's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious? You think that I should have let that poor kid go on his own?! Geez, Zane, I thought you cared about him more than that!" Zane glared at him, his mouth set in a line.

"I didn't say that I didn't care. You've missed enough school as it is, and you could've been hurt if that helicopter ―" Atticus raised a hand to stem his friend's rant.

"So could he. That's what life is about, Zane. To get where you want to be, there are risks that have to be taken." Zane twitched his nose, a peculiar habit that displayed itself when another person had him on a point.

"That may be, but there are risks and then there are risks. Risks I don't feel comfortable with friends of mine taking."

"Hey, it was my decision."

"Zane, sorry to interrupt, but Red wants to see you and your brother right away." Dr. Salin came out into the hallway. Zane and Atticus traded a puzzled look. _Red?_

--

Dr. Red Penz. Zane tried hard to hide the smile that was creeping across his face. He knew it was rude, but he couldn't help but see the humour in the name.

That was the name of the neurologist who was in charge of his brother's file. And if that name wasn't enough to make Zane wary, the guy's first name was Red. _What were his parents high on?! This is the guy who is supposed to be a renowned brain expert? _Dr. Penz had come all the way out from Los Angeles on Dr. Salin's request, as they were old friends.

Dr. Penz sat forward in his chair, placing the palms of his hands slightly on the desk to support himself. "What I don't understand, Mr. Truesdale, is how your brother progressed to blindness without any medical staff knowing."

"What do you mean?" Zane glanced over at Syrus, who was staring sightlessly at his shoes. The expression on the younger's face was neutral, but Zane thought he could detect the smallest bit of defensiveness.

"Full-scale blindness occurs progessionally**,** meaning that a person doesn't go blind in a few seconds unless there was severe damage to the eyes themselves. In your brother's case, the blindness was most likely caused by the concussion he received in the accident. And so, he should have been showing symptoms long before this." He rubbed his temples. "It's very perplexing."

Zane nodded. "I see." _Argh, wrong choice of words, _he thought; wincing internally as he saw his younger brother flinch at the word. "So, how did a simple concussion lead to blindness?"

The doctor picked up a plastic model of an eye from his desk drawer. "Well, the eyes are controlled by the occipital lobe in the back of the brain, which is the part where your concussion occurred. I believe that when you received the injury, the resulting pressure caused the blood vessels to burst and clot. Those little clots are most likely blocking the nerves that control your vision. It can't be confirmed until I do some more scans, but I am ninety percent certain."

Syrus nodded; a barely visible movement. "Can you fix it?" The hope in his face was apparent to the both the doctor and his brother.

Dr. Penz looked at Syrus for a moment, and then said kindly, "Syrus, I think you should probably get back to your room. It's been a long day for you, I'm sure. Go get some rest."

"No! I want to hear this. Just tell me yes or no."

The doctor's mouth thinned and he blinked slowly, as if trying to think of what to say. "Right now, I'd say that there's a sixty-forty chance that you will be blind permanently." Taking advantage of the sudden silence, he added "I have a few little matters to discuss with your brother, so go back to your room and sleep."

Syrus might have burst into tears, but Zane gently pulled him out of the chair and led him to the door. "He's right, Sy. Get some sleep. I'll tell you everything he says."

"Promise?" Syrus clutched as his brother's sleeve in a clamp-like motion, as if he was afraid of leaving with a lie ringing in his ears.

"Yes. Now, go on." The nurse who had accompanied them down to the office smoothly steered Syrus down the hallway and out of Zane's sight.

"What were you saying?"

"Zane, this is going to be hard for you to understand, but when I told your brother that he had a sixty-forty chance of staying blind, that was best case scenario. A more realistic estimate would be seventy-five/twenty-five" The bluenette went very still. His face went from a normal shade of pink to quite pale.

"What?! But…but…there has to be something you can do. Surgery, or…" Zane broke off, drawing a hand down his face in despair. "Isn't there?"

Dr. Penz picked up a pencil and tapped his palm with it, sliding his jaw back and forth. "I would prefer to talk to Syrus alone about this. No offense to you, but the presence of a family member can sway the decision of a patient."

"Decision?"

"Yes. There is a surgery we can that will _hopefully _restore his sight. However, it's too early to tell if that will be an option, or even if he has options." Picking up a pen, Dr. Penz scribbled something on the file that lay open in front of him. "For now, we'll run some tests to determine the exact schematics of the injury, and to make sure there is nothing else hidden. Syrus will be able to go home within a week or two."

"Thank you." Zane woodenly shook the doctor's hand, still in shock from hearing that his brother may be disabled for the rest of his life. He left the room, running a hand through his teal hair in disbelief.

"Zane! How'd it go?" Atticus approached from the elevator. "I saw Syrus go by, but the nurse wouldn't let me talk to him."

"It's not…good," Zane's throat almost closed with the prospect of saying it aloud. "He might be blind forever. There's about a seventy-five percent chance."

Atticus blinked in surprise, looking stunned. "Oh, man. That's so…" he sat in a chair, looking left and right, as if trying to find something. "Zane…I'm sorry." He felt it was an inadequate thing to say, but it was the only thing that jumped to mind. "Are they, you know, sure? Maybe it's a mistake."

"I wish." Zane flopped down beside him. "I don't know what to tell him." He clenched his fists on the chair arms.

"Tell him the truth. You didn't tell him last time, and look where we are now. I mean, not that it's your fault or anything…" Atticus saw that his words weren't helping much (so what else is new?), and leaned over to give his friend a hug. "It'll be okay, Zane. Have a little faith."

"Faith." Zane gave a bitter laugh. "Yeah, right. I had faith that my brother would be okay if I let him go back to school. And look at what happened! I should never have let him leave."

"Zane…" Atticus said placatingly. "Maybe you should take a bit of a rest while Syrus is sleeping..."

Zane sent him a dirty look. "Are you trying to say I'm too stressed out?"

"No, just that you'll need as much strength as you can get to deal with this." To Atticus's supreme amazement, Zane nodded at this logic.

"You're right." The bluenette leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, preparing to take a nap.

"Ummm, Zane, what are you doing? I meant you should sleep at your house, not in this chair."

Zane answered without even opening an eye. "What if Syrus needs me? I have to stay available."

"Then I'll stay here with him! But you need to take a break too. What happens if you get sick from worrying, hm?! That's not going to help anybody, least of all your brother." Zane began to laugh. "I'm not being funny, Zane!"

"I've just rarely seen you this passionate about something other than girls and surfing. Are you sure you want to stay here? It can get pretty grim."

"I'm sure."

"Well…if you're really certain…" the bluenette didn't seem to willing, but Atticus was not going to give up without a fight. He cared too much about his best friend to let him risk his health.

"I'm positive." Atticus began chivying Zane towards the elevators before he could change his mind. His best friend gave him a long look as the doors started to slide closed.

"Atticus… thanks. For being here."

The surfer's brown eyes softened considerably. "I'd do anything for you, Zane. I…" he paused, and shook his head. "I'm your best friend." Zane had the impression that that was not what he was going to say originally, but the elevator doors closed and he moved downwards, towards the lobby.

--

And that's all she wrote! Well, not all I'm going to write on this story, but all on the chapter. You know what I mean. R&R, please and thank you!

PS: If anyone was wondering, the title of the chapter refers to the eye wall of a hurricane, which is usually the most deadly part of a storm.


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